Slaughter of Innocence
by Andrew H
Summary: Just how bad is the future? Why was Chris the only one left to change it?
1. Part 1

Slaughter of Innocence  
By Andrew Holroyd  
  
"I can't believe you! Why can't your family, your sons come first at least once." Piper bellowed. "It's his birthday for heaven sake. You weren't here for Christmas and now you're leaving before his party. Chris will be so heart broken."  
  
Leo just stood there. He knew how much it would upset his youngest but the Elders where calling him back. "I can't not go. It's my job." Leo replied knowing full well how Piper would react, for this argument, this exact argument was replayed at least once a week.  
  
"Your job! They're your son's; you can't take time off to celebrate your son's sixteenth birthday?"  
  
"I'll make it up to him; Chris is a smart kid he'll understand. I promise I'll try and get back as soon as I can." And with that, Leo orbed out. As the glow of his orb faded Piper was finally able to notice their little audience sitting on the stairs.  
  
"Oh honey I'm so sorry..." But before she could finish Chris stood up, wiped away the lone tear falling down his cheek and ran to his room. "Chris..." As she called out she was met with a loud slam of the door.  
  
Seeking to console her youngest Piper headed up to the bedroom. As she approached the door she was greeted with music, loud music. Normally Piper would tell him to turn it down but the specific song he was playing cut deep into her heart and she mentally cursed both Leo and the Elders.  
  
_ ..Oh the little pieces falling shatter,  
Shards of me to sharp to put back together,  
To small to matter but big enough,  
To cut me into so many little pieces..._  
  
Piper proceeded to knock on the door, not really expecting to get a response, so when the door opened and her son was standing in front of her, eyes red from crying, her heart broke and she pulled him into the tightest hug she'd ever given him. "Chris I'm sure he'll try his best but the Elders need him."  
  
"It doesn't matter; if it's not the Elders then it will just be one of his charges or some great magical event or some other excuse." Chris replied almost void of emotion but Piper could see and feel just how upset he truly was.  
  
They spent the rest of the day in his room just sitting quietly hugging. It wasn't until Phoebe returned from the newspaper did Piper leave her son's side.  
  
"Man you would not believe the day I've had." Phoebe said as she dropped her bags on the dinning table.  
  
"Oh I bet it was better than our day." Piper replied. Phoebe noticed the stress on the latter part of her statement.  
  
"What happened? No demon attack, was there? You should have called me."  
  
Seeing how Phoebe was getting worked up Piper had to wave her hands to calm her sister. "No, no demon attack, not unless an absent father on your sixteenth birthday is a new variety we're only just getting to know." As Piper spoke Phoebe's face fell, she couldn't believe it Leo wasn't going to be there for Chris' sixteenth birthday.  
  
"You've got to be kidding me. He's not going to be here? Why?"  
  
"Something really important that the Elders just have to tell him now. He won't be back for week maybe two." Phoebe's face seemed to fall even further if that was even possible.  
  
"Two weeks, what could possibly take two weeks to talk about? Surely he could take a couple of hours to attend his own son's birthday." As Phoebe spoke, Paige orbed in along with two younger children.  
  
"Hey, hey! Can it you two, cut it out." Paige said feigning annoyance. Immediately the two younger children stopped and looked at her with sheepish grins. "You would not believe how much energy these two have. I mean, they're like long life batteries." Paige lost her smile as she saw the sadness reflected in both her sisters' eyes. "What's wrong?"  
  
Piper just laughed as pervious conversations played through her mind. Just how many times would one of her sisters have to ask that very question? "Leo..." Before Piper could continue Paige realised what the problem was and quickly engulfed her eldest sister in a hug.  
  
"I can't believe it. Again? How's Chris taking it?" Phoebe chimed in saving her sister the pain of answering.  
  
"I'd have to say not good, listen." With that said the room fell silent. The silence made way for the lyrics of the song into everyone's ears.  
  
"Oh, that bad. You know that song used to be a favourite of mine but now every time I hear it I just wanna cry." Paige replied giving Piper one last squeeze before letting go.  
  
"Yeah I know what you mean." Phoebe retorted. Not knowing what was wrong, both the young one's started to head to the kitchen. "Melinda Patricia you keep out of that kitchen young lady." Phoebe added without looking, knowing that her daughter was going in search of anything her Aunt Piper had made recently.  
  
"Aw but Mum I'm soo hungry." Melinda whined with puppy dog eyes.  
  
"I don't care you've been eating junk food all day and dinner will be ready in about an hour." Phoebe added but before Melinda could respond Paige spoke.  
  
"And that goes for you as well Vanessa." The other girl stopped in her tracks. "You both have eaten enough food to last you a week if not two, today."  
  
Piper just smiled as both her nieces wore looks of utter defeat and began to walk into the living room.

* * *

Almost two hours later the three sisters were busy putting dinner on the table, everyone was staying as it was Wednesday night, the sister's night to have dinner together. They had promised each other the day Phoebe and Paige moved out that one day a week they'd have a family dinner.  
  
At first these dinners were more like a banquet, Piper would spend hours in the kitchen cooking, and with nine people to feed it wasn't the easiest task to cater to everyone's needs. But as time passed things became easier, first Leo's duties kept him away from the family for long periods but the most dramatic change was when Richard died. Paige was finally able to settle down with the man that she loved and have a gorgeous little girl, but after only two years Richard was killed protecting his daughter from a demon attack.  
  
"Erm Piper, where are we going to put all of this food and why in the world did you make so much?" Phoebe asked seeing the monumental amount of food she had prepared in the last hour alone.  
  
"There's not that much, we'll find room." Piper replied sheepishly.  
  
"Yeah if we eat non stop for a few days or invite the entire street over, but why so much?" Phoebe said as she looked at the recently prepared food and finally noticed. "They're Chris's favourite meals, oh honey, he's strong. He might be upset for a while but he'll bounce back, hey it's what Halliwell's do right?" Phoebe added as Melinda came running into the kitchen.  
  
"Mum, Aunt Piper where's Chris and Wyatt?"  
  
"Wyatt's staying at a friend's tonight, something about a really big test he has to do and Chris is in his room, but I'm not too sure he's in the mood to come down for dinner. You see your Uncle Leo has to be away for awhile and won't be around for Chris' birthday." As Piper finished a realisation dawned in Melinda's eyes.  
  
"He's not going to be here again but Chris..." Melinda stopped just short of telling them something Chris didn't want anyone to know but it was too late now, both her Aunt Piper and her mother caught the near slip and were now pressing the issue. To make matters worse Melinda couldn't lie to her mother, what with her being both an Empath and a Telepath. She could tell if Melinda was lying no matter how hard she tried to mask her thoughts and emotions.  
  
Melinda was also an Empath/Telepath, she inherited all her powers from her mother but Phoebe had gained her Empathic abilities not long after Wyatt was born and her Telepathic powers arose shortly after Chris' birth. Melinda however had only received her Empathic and Telepathic powers four years ago on her eleventh birthday and was nowhere near as good as her Mum.  
  
"What's this about Chris?" Piper asked with her concern for her youngest showing. Melinda just stood there not wanting to think in case her mum could sense the truth.  
  
"Melinda Patricia Halliwell your Aunt Piper asked you a question and I would like to hear an answer and it better be the truth." Phoebe said knowing all too well how close Melinda was with Chris, in fact Melinda, Vanessa and Chris were as close if not more so than the sisters were, Wyatt however seemed to remind Phoebe of her relationship with Prue when they were growing up. Wyatt spent a lot of his time by himself or out, he never tried to get close with his cousins, not like Chris did anyway. "Well!" Phoebe pressed.  
  
"I can't, I promised Chris I wouldn't." Melinda replied her eyes displaying her will not to betray Chris' confidence.  
  
"Honey I would never want you to betray Chris in anyway but I have to know does Chris want something or need something. I want to help my baby. I don't, I can't stand to see him suffer like he is doing." Piper was now pleading with Melinda and it was breaking her heart to see the pain in her Aunt's eyes. What was even worse was the pain she could feel from her Aunt thanks to her Empathic powers. Melinda couldn't take it anymore, she had to tell them.  
  
"Okay but please don't tell Chris I told you, he'd never forgive me." Melinda finally replied, tears threatening to flow freely down her cheeks. Piper could see how hard it was for Melinda to betray Chris' confidence and for that fact alone; she was grateful, grateful that Chris had someone this strong looking out for him.  
  
"Honey I promise that I won't tell him that you told us but I need to know. You understand that I just want Chris to be happy?" Melinda nodded and prepared herself to tell both her mother and her Aunt Piper how Chris was really feeling.  
  
"Chris feels like he's not loved and not wanted." Melinda muttered just louder than a whisper. Both Piper and Phoebe were reeling from this news but Melinda had more to say. "He thinks that Uncle Leo believes he was an accident, that he was just some giant cosmic slip up and that's why he never has anytime for him."  
  
Piper couldn't take it anymore the tears that were threatening to flow before were now rushing free and it felt as if they'd never stop. Even Phoebe began to tear up. How could they not have known this? How could they not have seen the level of pain Chris was now obviously in? All Piper could think was why, why would Chris believe that Leo would, could ever think he was a mistake. Leo loved his sons. Sensing her Aunt's pain and internal questioning Melinda felt she had to go on.  
  
"Aunt Piper I'm so sorry." Piper just took Melinda within her arms and hugged her tightly. Through she didn't verbally thank Melinda for telling her the truth Melinda knew but that didn't make it any easier to continue. "For some reason Chris strongly believes Uncle Leo thinks Chris will bring harm to Wyatt. That some how Chris will stand in his was to fulfil his destiny.  
  
It was Phoebe's turn to hug her daughter even though she had practically ordered Melinda to tell them she was so proud of her little girl and she secretly hoped that her father was looking down on his daughter and was as proud with her as she was.  
  
Piper stood up after several minutes by which time she had managed to compose herself to some extent. "I have to go talk to him, now!" Melinda virtually jumped out of her mother's arms.  
  
"No Aunt Piper you can't!" She practically bellowed. "You can't, he'll know I told you... you promised, you promised you wouldn't tell him." Seeing her obvious distress, Piper decided that this problem had to be handled in a specific way and that it would take time to truly get to the bottom of it.  
  
"You're right Melinda I promised and I intend to keep that promise." Piper said looking Melinda in the eyes. Just then, Paige came into the kitchen.  
  
"Hey what's taking dinner so long? I've got one very hungry little girl out here." Seeing the tears in everyone's eyes Paige stopped. "What's wrong, not Leo again, please tell me it's not Leo again?" A slight tone of rage evident in her voice.  
  
"No, well yes, maybe but there's a better place and certainly a better time to discuss it." Piper replied as she wiped the tears from her eyes and proceeded to move their dinner into the dinning room.  
  
"Oh goodie dinner, I'm starving." Vanessa said as everyone filed in around the dinning table.  
  
"Hey young lady please at least wait 'til everyone's seated before you start gorging on the food." Paige replied as she pulled a face at her daughter.  
  
"Where are Chris and Wyatt?" Vanessa asked noticing what her Mum was referring to.  
  
"Wyatt is at a friend's tonight," as Piper told her, Vanessa's face crinkled into a deep frown, but the look on her mother's face told her she better not let Aunt Piper catch her pulling a face, so she immediately removed the frown. "Chris is in his room. I was just about to go and, see if he was feeling up to joining us for dinner."  
  
As Piper approached Chris' door she was relieved not to hear that song, she didn't think she would be able to handle hearing it again today. "Honey." Piper said as she knocked on the door and entered. She found Chris lying on his bed reading a book, at least he seemed happier than before but Piper remembered what Melinda had told her, just how good was Chris at hiding his feelings? "Dinner's ready if you want to join us. Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige are here and Melinda and Vanessa keep asking where you are. I think they want to play with their big cousin."  
  
That last remark brought a smile to Chris' face. "Mum we're practically the same age. I'd hardly call me their big cousin." With that, Chris marked his page and got up for dinner. It would be only his second meal all day and he was absolutely starving.  
  
"Come here." Piper grabbed him as he was walking past and engulfed him in a tight hug and planted a kiss on his forehead.  
  
"Mum!" he exclaimed, as he was taken by surprise.  
  
"What can't I hug my boy no more... fine then?" She replied faking nonchalance. But as Chris was moving away she pounced once again this time instead of a hug she began to tickle him.  
  
"Ah that's not fair... ah you cheated, I wasn't ready." Chris exclaimed between fits of laughter. "Okay, okay I surrender, I surrender." Piper had won, once again, now she would be able to hug her son anytime she wanted, for about a week anyway.  
  
"Good," Piper said as she again pulled her youngest son into a hug, "let's go eat, before your cousins start a mutiny."  
  
"Ah that might be a good idea. What's for dinner anyway coz I'm starving?" Chris asked as they headed towards the stairs.  
  
"Erm, well about that..." Chris didn't like the sound of that but Piper kept going, "I kinda made about six different things, meatballs, lasagne, tomato soup, chilli con carne, a three cheese risotto and there's a garden salad in there somewhere too."  
  
As Piper listed of the meals that were waiting on the dinning table Chris' face lit up. Every single dish was one of his favourites, but then again everything his Mum cooked was his favourite. "You were worried about me huh? That's why you cooked so much." Chris finally said as the situation dawned on him.  
  
"Kinda but I just wanted to show you how much I love you. You do know that right, that your father and I loved you more than anything in this world or the next?" Piper said as she squeezed him once again. Though Chris didn't say anything the look in his eyes spoke volumes, he did know.

* * *

Meanwhile in the depths of the Underground several demons where gathered in what was once the Source's chamber. "Who summoned us here, in this place of failure?" One of the demons hissed.  
  
"Like we know, but who ever it was risked great torment by summoning me." Just as the second demon spoke, the chamber torches began to spontaneously ignite. Once all the torches were lit all the demons where facing the throne that was once the seat of the most powerful evil, The Source. As the demons watched on, the eternal flames that had been extinguished decades ago by the Charmed Ones suddenly erupted to life. Taken back by the immense power of the flames they didn't notice the cloaked figure sitting on the throne.  
  
"My aren't we the sorriest bunch of demons to ever exist." The figure's voice was cold as ice, and even sent chills down the spins of the demons.

* * *

"So did you two have a nice day?" Piper asked her two nieces. Today was Paige's day off so she decided to take the girls on a moderate shopping spree.  
  
"Oh you wouldn't believe it. Aunt Paige took us to HeadGirl and let us loose with Mum's credit card." Melinda replied but as soon as she did, her Mum almost exploded.  
  
"What! Paige you let her loose in a store with a credit card?" Phoebe was verging on livid when she turned to her daughter. "How much did you spend?" seeing her mother's reaction pushed Melinda over the edge. She could no longer hold back the fits of laughter. Phoebe's face shifted from anger to embarrassment when she realised Melinda was playing a trick on her.  
  
"Sorry, but I couldn't resist. We did go to HeadGirl but we only window shopped." Melinda managed to say, through the fits of laughter she was now truly caught in.  
  
"Just you wait young lady." Phoebe threatened but shifted her attention to her sister, "And you, you were letting this little charade continue until when? I pop a few blood vessels?" Paige threw her hands up in defence.  
  
"Hey I'm not the one who's an Empath/Telepath. Shouldn't you have sensed it was a joke?"  
  
"Oy can you two stop it. Can't we have one family dinner without this whole prelim to an argument? Thank you." Piper said over her sister's comments. As they calmed down Piper looked over at her son, he was laughing just as hard as Melinda and Vanessa now. If anything at least Phoebe's little outburst was able to make him laugh and just hopefully forget his worries, even if it was only for a little while. Piper must have been staring at Chris too long because both Phoebe and Paige took one of her hands. Piper was just able to smile at them when Phoebe was hit with a premonition.  
  
_Beginning of Premonition  
_  
They had just finished dinner and where starting to clear the table, but before either his Aunts or his mother could pick up the plates Chris had taken them.  
  
"Hey you don't have to do that, I can manage." Piper said as Chris began towards the kitchen.  
  
"It's no problem Mum, you've been... busy today and I'm sure Aunt Paige and Aunt Phoebe are both tired." And with that, he vanished into the kitchen.  
  
"Okay now that's sweet," Phoebe said and turned to her daughter, "Now why don't you do that for me?" But before Melinda could have responded, a small troop of demons shimmered into the living room.  
  
"Mum!" Vanessa yelled as she saw the demons materialise.  
  
"Vanessa, take Melinda and get out of here!" Paige said as she and her sisters went to vanquish the demons. Vanessa reached across the table and grabbed Melinda's hand and orbed out of there, not a moment too soon, coz as they orbed, a fireball hit the table where Melinda had just been.  
  
"Hey!" Phoebe bellowed getting the attention of the demon that had nearly killed her daughter. She levitated in the air and kicked the demon into the conservatory. However, as she touched the ground another demon hit her with a fireball.  
  
"Phoebe!" Piper yelled as she saw her sister hit the wall with bone crunching force. Piper turned to face the demon, tears in her eyes. She flicked her hands and two of the demons exploded. "Leo! Leo Phoebe needs your..." but before she could finish she was hit from behind by two fireballs sending her through the window, just as Chris was running back into the dinning room.  
  
"Mum!" He yelled, so loud in fact that the remaining demons stopped their advances on Paige who was in bad shape. Her body was covered in multiple burns, a draw back of have multiple astral forms hit by fireballs. Paige could just make out the tears falling down Chris' face as unconsciousness claimed her.  
  
Chris was spiralling into an uncontrollable rage, he'd never felt anything this strong in his life. The demons continued their approach each holding a fireball in their claws, an evil grin on their face. "Oh look, the little boy thinks he can take us on." Chris was now visibly shaking with rage; all the demons could do was laugh as a dozen fireballs flew in Chris' direction.  
  
Chris, now completely controlled by his rage, didn't even flinch; instead, an energy barrier appeared in front of him and absorbed all the fireballs. The demons looked on in terror, how could this boy have that much power to fend off an attack of that magnitude? Chris instinctively knowing what they were thinking just raised his arms. As he did both his eyes and his hands began to glow with power, as the power intensified, the remaining demons were struck by lightning and were destroyed.  
  
_End of Premonition_


	2. Part 2

Phoebe gasped as her premonition ended. "What, what did you see?" Piper asked seeing how pale her sister had gone.  
  
"A group of demons attacked us. Melinda and Vanessa orbed to safety. We were fighting, I got hit same with you." She said pointing to Piper. "Paige looked exhausted, so much so you collapsed." Phoebe had to stop to compose herself. The premonition was so vivid; she could still feel the impact of the fireball on her back. After a few moments Phoebe looked over at Chris, her premonition showed her some interesting things about her nephew.  
  
"Phoebe, hey!" Paige clicked her fingers in front of her sister. "Are you back with us?"  
  
"Huh? Oh sorry. It's just I saw some pretty amazing things, besides our deaths."  
  
"Like what?" Piper asked noticing how she was looking at Chris.  
  
"Chris and some pretty amazing powers." With that everyone turned to look at Chris.  
  
"Huh?" Chris was shocked, his Aunt had just told everyone he had some amazing powers, but how could he? All he could do was orb and move things with his mind, and that was nothing special in this house. Now his brother on the other hand had some pretty cool powers but that was expected since he was supposed to be the strongest magical being ever. "Aunt Phoebe don't you mean Wyatt? You know the Twice Blessed one." Chris finally said assuming his Aunt was still recovering from her premonition.  
  
"Oh no, it was you alright honey." Phoebe replied, she could still feel the power and his rage from her premonition. Turning her attention to Piper, she smiled then spoke, "He really is your son, the power I felt was nothing compared to his emotions, his rage." All Piper could do was smile and look over at her son, knowing what Phoebe was saying. Chris' rage over his mother's death fuelled his power just as it had done for Piper when she believed that the Titans had killed Wyatt.  
  
_Flashback_  
  
The Charmed Ones were caught completely by surprise as the Titans materialised in the Manor. "Oh look Meta, Gods. Whatever shall we do?" Cronus asked in a mocking tone. The Charmed Ones who now possessed the powers of the Greek Gods – Phoebe the Goddess of love, Paige the Goddess of war and Piper the Goddess of Nature, simply stood there. They hadn't yet been able to come up with a way to vanquish the Titans.  
  
Paige was the first to move, raising her trident and began to shoot lightning bolts at the Titans but it was ineffective and the Titans simply responded by sending them all flying.  
  
"Okay new plan," Phoebe said as she stood up, "Brute force isn't always the way," And with that her hands began to glow a soft pink, "heartache can accomplish more." As her glow intensified she waved her hand in Meta's direction but Meta simply waved her hand and sent Phoebe flying once again.  
  
"Would you stop playing, I will not go back to the ice. We need to destroy them, now!" Demetrius bellowed. "And she has just given me an idea." Demetrius continued, an evil grin spreading over his face. "Brute force isn't the only way to destroy something." And with that he vanished.  
  
The Charmed Ones were completely confused but they didn't remain that way for long because Demetrius reappeared holding a blue sphere in the air.  
  
"Wyatt!" Piper bellowed causing the Manor to shake. "Give him back, now!" this time a massive shockwave bowled everyone over, everyone except Piper and Demetrius.  
  
"If you want him..." Demetrius vanished but his voice remained, "come and find him." As if coming to an understanding the two remaining Titans vanished.  
  
"We have to find them!" Paige replied distraught that her nephew was in the hands on the Titans.  
  
"But where are they?" Phoebe didn't have to wait long for an answer.  
  
"Follow me." Piper said taking her sisters hands and disappearing in a vortex of wind.  
  
The sisters materialised in a canyon. The Titans were mere meters from them, but they couldn't see Wyatt. "Where's my child!" Piper said vehemently, causing several claps of thunder overhead.  
  
"Closer than you think." With that Cronus directed her attention to the left, Wyatt appeared, his energy barrier still up.  
  
"Wyatt honey, come to mommy." Piper called out but Wyatt didn't come.  
  
"A small but effective anti orbing spell. Surrender and we might let him live long enough to see your deaths." Meta said, pure enjoyment showing in her eyes.  
  
"You wouldn't dare hurt him." Paige replied, but no sooner had she spoke the Titans turned to Wyatt and fired several energy bolts at the canyon wall. Time seemed to pass in slow motion as the canyon wall fell over Wyatt. None of them could believe what had just happened. In a blink of an eye their nephew, Piper's son, had been taken away. The Titans turned back to face the Charmed Ones and were overjoyed by the pain they had caused. But something was wrong Piper was standing stark still, tears falling down her cheeks but she was unlike the others. Phoebe could sense it; something had happened to Piper, she was gone. There was no familiarity when she looked at her eldest sister.  
  
"Piper?" Phoebe asked as she slowly approached, but as she was about to place her hand on her shoulder, massive lightning bolts started to hit the ground, huge craters were being made. Phoebe pulled back, realising at the same time as both Paige and the Titans, that this was Piper's doing or rather the Goddess of Nature.  
  
Piper raised her hands to the sky slowly. The Titans were now becoming increasingly nervous not even their original captors produced that much power. They decided if they were to survive, they needed to destroy her now, before she could destroy them.  
  
They threw everything they had at Piper, but it had no effect. She simply stood there, her hands in the air. "It's not nice to piss off Mother Nature." Piper said as a huge lightning blot shot between her raised hands and changed direction, straight towards the Titans.  
  
It all happened so fast, so fast the Titans weren't able to even think about how to escape. The massive lightning bolt struck the Titans and obliterated them.  
  
"Piper you... you just blew the Titans away single handedly." Paige exclaimed in awe.  
  
"Thank God." Phoebe added.  
  
"You're welcome." Piper replied without skipping a beat.  
  
The storm, which had destroyed the Titans, kept raging; in fact, it was increasing in intensity with every passing moment.  
  
"Piper you have to stop this!" Phoebe said as she grabbed her sister by the shoulders, only to be thrown off by a bolt of lightning.  
  
"Phoebe!" Paige called out to her sister, "are you okay?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I just love getting struck by lightning from my sister and sent flying!" Phoebe replied sarcastically. "Leo! Leo we need you, it's Piper." Before she had finished, Leo appeared.  
  
"You did it, you defeated the Titans. I knew you could."  
  
"Our son is dead." Piper said coldly.  
  
"What?" Leo replied, shock washing over him.  
  
"The Titans!" As Piper spoke, several lightning bolts struck the ground with Earth shaking force. "The Titans murdered our son." A realisation dawned on Leo.  
  
"And that's what gave you the power to destroy them. Your rage, your thirst for vengeance?" Leo's eyes began to tear up as the thought of never again seeing his son washed over him. "Wyatt." The storm again increased in intensity and Leo knew it was time for the sisters to give up their new powers before it consumed them. "Piper, it's time to give up the power." As he spoke, an ancient urn appeared in his hands. As he removed the lid and muttered the incantation, Paige and Phoebe reverted to their mortal selves. "Piper it's time." Leo said and Piper's eyes began to tear up.  
  
"Wyatt!" As the realisation hit home Piper found herself calling out to her son. "I'm so sorry." But as she finished a blue glow appeared in the air, Piper instinctively reached out and took the light. As she did, Wyatt materialised in her arms. "Wyatt! How?" Piper exclaimed as she looked Wyatt over.  
  
"His shield must have protected him from the rockslide." Leo reasoned as he wiped the tears from Piper's face. As Piper hugged Wyatt, her new powers returned to the urn and the storm began to die down.  
  
_Flashback ends_


	3. Part 3

**A/N:** Okay here is the newest addition, I hope you all like it. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed they are so appreciated; I can't tell you how much I love hearing what you all think. Well this could be the last update for about a week as I have exams but I promise I will update as soon as I can. Well read, enjoy, and review please.

* * *

"I don't mean to dampen this nice little moment we seemed to have going but the demons?" Paige said looking at Phoebe for an answer.  
  
"Right the demons. Well all I know is they were strong, stronger than any demons we've encountered for a while."  
  
"Okay what kind were they and how many? You said it was a group?" Piper enquired, she was beginning to worry about the safety of her son and her nieces.  
  
"Erm eight and I'm not sure what type, we'd have to consult the book." Before anyone could move, Paige out stretched her arms and the book orbed to her.  
  
"I can't believe I use to have to call things before they'd come to me." Paige said as she began to flip through the Book of Shadows. "It might help if you told me what to look for, you know, features, powers anything?"  
  
"I already told you, they threw fireballs." Phoebe replied somewhat dejectedly.  
  
"Well honey that sounds just like any other demon we've come across. If we're going to find away to vanquish them we'll need something more to go on." Piper pressed as she moved several strands of hair behind Phoebe's ear.  
  
"What can I say, they threw fireballs, they wore black cloaks and had pasty white skin." Phoebe replied casually. Just then, Paige cried out in success.  
  
"Aha! A Gorth Demon. A lower level demon that spreads the seeds of distrust." Paige read aloud before closing the book in triumph.  
  
"You know we need to read the vanquishing spell." Piper pointed out as Paige looked around with an air of victory.  
  
"Oh right." Paige replied sheepishly as she found the page again.  
  
"Wait you said that Gorth Demons are lower level demons, since when do lower level demons overpower us and kill Phoebe and me?" Piper asked no one in particular.  
  
The sisters had no time to ponder and answer as eight Gorth Demons shimmered into the living room. "Whoa!" Phoebe exclaimed as the demons began to attack. Two of the demons sent a wave of fireballs in Piper's direction but with a flick of her hands the fireballs froze.  
  
"It's not nice to play with fire." Piper said right before she blew them to pieces. Paige was having fun of her own with two more demons. As Paige began to orb several offshoots spread over the room encircling the two demons.  
  
"Hey!" One of the now many Paige's called out getting the attentions of both demons. Immediately, the two Gorth demons launched a wave of fireballs, but one set went straight for the astral form which had called them whilst the seconded headed for a different form. Unfortunately, as the fireballs impacted, the two astral forms simply disappeared.  
  
"Wrong one." The real Paige exclaimed as she telekinetically orbed the Grandfather clock at them. As the clock hit the two demons they exploded in a mass of flames. "So much for being the strongest demons we've faced. Are you sure your premonition was right?" Paige called out to her sister.  
  
"I only told you what I saw." Phoebe replied as she ducked another fireball. As the fireball exploded on the wall behind her, Phoebe saw the opening she was waiting for. The demons became momentarily distracted by Piper as she blew up another demon. Phoebe wasted no time, she levitated and spin kicked the two demons into the conservatory. However, before the demons hit the ground they shimmered back into the living room behind Phoebe.  
  
"Stupid witch!" One of the demons hissed as it produced a fireball. Unfortunately for the demon, Phoebe already knew what it was going to do.  
  
"Nice try." Phoebe replied as she turned to face the Gorth Demons. As they threw them at her, Phoebe used her Empathic abilities to take control of their powers sending the fireballs right back, incinerating them.  
  
There were now only two Gorth Demons left, Piper and Paige had already cornered them when Phoebe joined them. "You came into my home and tried to kill us." Piper bellowed as she blew one of the remaining demons away. "Now you're going to tell me who sent you." The demon began to shimmer away but Piper was able to freeze it before it could escape. "Tell me or I'll blow you away piece buy piece." Piper's cold exterior was starting to frighten even Phoebe and Paige.  
  
"You fool." The demon's eyes began to glow as it started to chant, "Nova Sive Novi Orbis." As it finished, the demons they had just vanquished reappeared but they didn't remain corporeal for long as their energies were channelled into the last demon, imbuing it with their power.  
  
"Oh no!" Was all they managed to say, as the demon broke free of Piper's freeze, causing a shockwave to send the sisters flying.  
  
"Okay now that wasn't fair. Where'd it learn that?" Piper asked as she managed to pull herself up. The Gorth Demon was now towering over the Charmed Ones, and evil grin spread over its face.  
  
"Today the Power of Three is destroyed." With that, the demon produced a massive fireball and prepared to throw it, thus vanquishing the Charmed Ones.  
  
Chris who had taken Melinda and Vanessa up to the attic, had orbed back into the dinning room to see his mother and his aunts be sent flying by the Gorth Demons new powers. As it approached them and readied itself to vanquish them Chris saw the book sitting on the table. If they couldn't vanquish the Gorth Demon, he'd have to do it before it was too late.  
  
Chris used his telekinetic powers to bring the book to him but as the book landed in his opened arms, the Triquetra began to glow. Chris had never seen the book do anything like this. He was becoming worried, did the book know that the Charmed Ones were about to be vanquished? No, Chris couldn't let that happen, not now, not ever. As Chris was about to open the book the pages began to turn of their own accord. They flipped so fast Chris could barely see the words. It finally stopped. As Chris looked down at the blank page words began to appear. Not wanting to waste any more time Chris recited the words, he only hoped that they would help him save his family.  
  
_ "Hear my words and heed my cry,  
Halliwell witches stand strong beside,  
Unbind the ancient power lost,  
Return to me and help save the sisters three."_  
  
No sooner had Chris finished reciting the words then the Manor began to shake and the chandelier began to glow, first blue then as if the power was increasing it turned white. Chris didn't understand what was going on all he really wanted was to save his mother and his aunts from the Gorth Demon. Suddenly, Chris was hit with an intense feeling of power; he could feel the power of the Warren line, of all the witches who came before him. It was like nothing he had ever felt, he knew what he had to do.  
  
"Leave them alone." As Chris bellowed, the Gorth Demon was sent flying right into the wall. "You will never harm the Charmed Ones." Chris walked over to where the Gorth Demon now lay. "You all think you can just come in here and try and kill them, kill my family. No more!" Chris sent the Gorth Demon flying, this time past the sisters and into the conservatory.  
  
The Charmed Ones just looked on; they'd never seen Chris display such power, the only time they'd seen power like this was when Piper vanquished the Titans. "I told you he was your son Piper." Phoebe said as they pulled themselves up.  
  
"I never doubted it." Piper responded somewhat distractedly. She feared for her son's life, if he kept up this power, Piper feared it would consume him as it had nearly done to her. "Chris honey you can't give in to your need for vengeance. You have to... " But before she could continue the Gorth Demon launched a massive fireball at Chris. "Chris!" Piper bellowed as she tried to freeze it but it was too powerful. Chris didn't even flinch as the fireball came racing towards him.  
  
"You're all the same." He simply said as an energy barrier appeared and absorbed the fireball. "It ends here!" Chris' voice was cold and menacing; it scared Piper more with each passing moment, the thought that her son could be destroyed by this new power.  
  
All the Charmed Ones could do was watch on as Chris used his telekinetic powers to lift the Gorth Demon into the air. "You can't defeat me I'm protected by master!" The Demon hissed as Chris raised his hands to the ceiling. The manor began to shake once more, this time each shake was accompanied by a loud clap of thunder.  
  
"We'll see about that." As Chris spoke the windows in the conservatory shattered and massive lightning blots struck the demon causing it to scream out in pain but it only lasted a moment cause the immense force of the lightning destroyed the demon.  
  
With the demon destroyed, Chris collapsed, his body no longer able to take the strain. "Chris!" Piper rushed over to her son's side, tears falling down her face as she prepared for the worst. "Chris honey it's mommy, open your eyes." Piper was now truly panicking, "Leo! Leo you get down here right now! You son needs you, Leo!" After a few moments, moments that seemed to last a lifetime to Piper, Leo orbed in.  
  
"Piper what is...?" Leo paused as he saw his son cradled in his mother's arms. "Chris!" Leo rushed over to his son and began to heal him. "What happened? I can barely feel him." Leo asked not removing his eyes from Chris.  
  
"We were attacked. A bunch of Gorth demons. We managed to beat most of them but before we could vanquish the last one, he, it cast a spell." Phoebe replied as she placed her hand on Piper's shoulder for reassurance.  
  
"A spell? What kind of spell?" Leo pressed still not daring to remove his eyes from his youngest son.  
  
"We're not too sure but I think it was an ultimate offering spell, I mean we vanquished seven of them and the last one called their essences back, into itself. It nearly beat us. If it wasn't for Chris." Paige added as she knelt down beside Leo and Piper.  
  
"Chris saved us and vanquished the Gorth Demon after casting a spell out of the Book of Shadows." Piper spoke barely louder than a whisper.  
  
"A spell?" Leo cast a questioning look at the sisters, his face showing just how scared he was. Before Leo could say anything more Paige had orbed the book to her. However, as she looked down at the page the words of the spell were beginning to fade.  
  
"Okay this can't be good." She said as she held up the book for her sisters to see. "The words are disappearing."  
  
"What about the other spells?" Phoebe asked as she thought back to the time when they banished their powers leaving the book blank.  
  
"Nope it's just this one spell." Paige replied after looking at several spells.  
  
"What does that mean Leo?" Piper asked fearing that it meant her son had sacrificed his life for theirs.  
  
"I don't know. It could mean it was a one- off spell."  
  
"I don't remember seeing a spell like that in the book before." Phoebe thought aloud. "I mean I could be wrong but I don't remember ever seeing a spell like that."  
  
Leo's hands stopped glowing and everyone held their breath, waiting for Chris to open his eyes. "Chris honey, it's mommy, open your eyes, please." Piper said over her sobs.  
  
"Mommy." Chris sounded like he was five years old again, looking for his mother after a nightmare.  
  
"I'm here baby, your okay; you're going to be okay." Piper replied in a soothing voice as she rocked him back and forth. "Mommy won't let anything happen to you."  
  
"He was going to hurt you... I had to stop him." Chris spoke still not opening his eyes.  
  
"Shhh everything is okay. You saved us and we're so proud of you." Piper replied before turning to Leo "He needs some rest." Leo not needing to be told a second time, orbed both Piper and Chris to his bedroom.  
  
With both Piper and Leo gone, Phoebe and Paige had time to survey the damage to the Manor. "Oh boy, it's gonna be fun replacing all this." Paige finally said as she looked at the pieces of glass that littered the floor.  
  
"You're telling me. I can't believe Chris did all this though." Phoebe replied as she walked over to the glassless windows. "Do you think people noticed the freak storm that just happened?"  
  
"Let's hope not." The girls were startled as Leo came down the stairs. "He's resting; Piper didn't want to leave him in case he wakes up." He answered in reply to Phoebe's unasked question.  
  
"That's probably a good idea. He seemed so weak and so innocent, like he was a child." Paige said as she gave Leo a hug.  
  
"Yeah, hey where are Melinda and Vanessa?" Leo asked noticing their absence.  
  
"Melinda! Vanessa! It's okay to come out now." Phoebe bellowed to nowhere in particular. As she finished both Melinda and Vanessa orbed into the conservatory.  
  
"Mum!" Vanessa ran to her mother who engulfed her in a giant hug. "Chris orbed us to the attic; he said we'd be safe up there."  
  
"Where's Aunt Piper and Chris?" Melinda asked.  
  
"There in Chris' room sweetheart." Leo answered bending down to Melinda's level.  
  
"Are they okay?" Vanessa asked her concern evident in her voice.  
  
"Chris is just a little worn out from the fight." Paige replied hoping it would comfort her daughter. "Oww!"  
  
"What's wrong?" Leo asked as he saw Paige rub her stomach.  
  
"Oh it's just some burns from where the demons hit my astral ass."  
  
"Here." Leo walked over hand placed his hands over Paige's stomach and a golden glow began to heal her. "There good as new."

* * *

"Oh honey, why did you have to do this. We would have found another way, we always do." Piper spoke softly to her son as she brushed the stray hairs off his brow. "When you wake up, we need to have a long talk about a lot of things." She said as she bent forward and kissed his brow.  
  
Chris moved in his sleep and pulled Piper closer to himself. He was so exhausted but the presence of his mother made him feel safe, she wouldn't let anything happen to him. As he lay there, embraced by his mother, Chris could feel something pulling at him, at his soul. He had known this was the risk he was taking before he read the spell, but he had to, he couldn't just stand there whilst the Gorth Demon murdered his mother, his aunts they were his world.  
  
"Love you mum." Chris whispered as he let his soul be drawn away.

* * *

Chris thought he had been floating for hours before finally coming to some sort of stop. As he looked round, he was met with an endless picturesque sky. It looked like it was just before sunset, the soft warm orange glow just before the darkness. "So this is what heaven looks like." Chris said softly to himself.  
  
"Always the overdramatic Christopher." Chris was startled by the voice; he looked around but saw no one.  
  
"Mother please! He's just been through a major life threatening ordeal." A second voice called out over the clouds but still Chris couldn't see anyone or anything but clouds.  
  
"Where are you? Who are you?" Chris bellowed.  
  
"Now Christopher, there's no need to shout." As the first voice spoke again Chris almost jumped out of his skin, if he'd actually had any, as a hand was placed on his shoulder. As he spun around, he came face to face with two transparent women. He immediately recognised them.  
  
"Grams? Great-Grams?" Chris asked somewhat bewildered.  
  
"My, for heaven's sake you make me sound old." Penny Halliwell replied with a small chuckle. "Well don't I get a hug from my Great-Grandson?" Penny added opening her arms. Chris was still in shock. So he had died, that spell must have drained him more than he or the sisters even thought.  
  
Penny didn't wait for Chris to walk into her arms; instead, she engulfed him in a hug nearly as strong as his mothers. As Penny let him go, his Grandmother walked up and gave him a hug. "I'm so proud of you. You saved my girls without thought to your own life." Patricia said softly into his ear.  
  
"So does this mean I died?" Chris finally asked after recovering from the shock of seeing his Great-Grand and Grandmothers.  
  
"Dead! Why in the world would you think you're dead? Besides the clouds, the transparent appearance and the reunion with past family members." Penny paused after she spoke realising that to Chris it looked and probably felt like he was dead.  
  
"Chris sweetheart, you're not dead." Patricia replied after giving her mother a somewhat dark glare. "This is a part of the spell you cast that let you help the Charmed Ones."  
  
"And you did the Halliwell name proud with how you defeated that demon." Penny said with what Chris could only think to be a bounce.  
  
"The spell?" Chris was having a hard time grasping anything.  
  
"You two are confusing him." A new voice spoke out and both Penny and Patricia turned to see another figure moving towards them.  
  
"And I suppose you think you can do better?" Penny replied. As the figure approached, Chris was stunned to realise it was his Aunt Prue. She had died a few years before Wyatt had been born, before his Mum or Aunt Phoebe knew they had another sister, Paige.  
  
"I can see so much of Piper in you." Prue walked up to Chris and like the others gave him a huge hug.  
  
"Now that we've all seriously stunned the child why don't we get on with it?" Penny said as once again she took control.  
  
_ "I call forth from space and time,  
Matriarchs from the Halliwell line,  
Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Friends,  
Our family sprit without end,  
To gather now in this scared place,  
And help us bring this child to grace."  
_  
Chris knew that spell; it was cast on each new Halliwell. To summon the past witches and bless the new life. Within moments more ghostly figures appeared, many of which Chris didn't know. As they appeared, each one smiled and hugged him before moving to join the others, who had begun to form a circle around him.  
  
Finally, they seemed to stop coming. As Chris looked around at his entire family, he noticed that they were all looking at a single space in the circle. Chris was becoming confused, was he suppose to stand there? Whom else could they be waiting for? Just as Chris decided to move a swirl of white lights appeared in the space, they soon disappeared revealing a young woman. She couldn't have been older than twenty-five, thirty at the most. As she looked around a smile spread over her face.  
  
"My daughter's," As she looked at Chris her smile grew, "and my son." Chris finally understood who this woman was, she wasn't just some witch in the Halliwell line, she was the beginning. Chris was standing in front of Melinda Warren. "Blessed be."  
  
Chris was now moving into complete shock, "Are you sure I'm not dead?" Chris asked his Great-Grams once more.  
  
"Christopher, my beautiful and strong son you are very much alive." Chris turned to see Melinda Warren standing before him.  
  
"I don't get it. If I'm not dead the why am I here?" Chris replied waving his hands around indicating the endless landscape of clouds. "And why are you all here?" Melinda engulfed Chris in a hug as she spoke softly into his ear.  
  
"You're here because you're destined to be here. Because here, is the only place you can properly receive the wonderful gift we are about to bestow upon you." As Melinda pulled away, Chris, whilst still confused, felt better, if only a little.  
  
"Gift? What gift?" Chris asked looking round once more at his family.  
  
"You'll see." Prue replied smiling at her nephew, in fact everyone was smiling at him now. 


	4. Part 4

**A/N:** Okay here you go another instalment. I really hope you like this; I'm not too sure about it myself so tell us what you think. Also, does anyone think I'm laying it on a bit too much with all the emotional stuff? Anyway, I know the last update was going to be the last for about a week but I just couldn't stop writing but this one will be I really have to study for these exams. Okay so read and review I'd really like to hear what you think.  
  
**Thanks to:** Dragonfireceo, cherry7up56, AK8, Warm as Ice, Devilaire Mshadi, X3, Sickle Sword, PiperHalliwell025, Pink-Charmed-One, Cat and SpiritofEowyn for all your reviews. Keep them coming.

* * *

"Okay I get why the last demon was you know, kinda hard to vanquish but you said the regular Gorth Demons beat us in your premonition." Paige asked as she swept up another pile of glass.  
  
"That's how it happened. The Gorth Demons shimmered into the living room, you told Vanessa to take Melinda and orb somewhere safe. We were kinda winning then they seemed to get the advantage. Some fireballs killed Piper and me; you looked like you'd gone several rounds with something crossed between Mike Tyson and a matchstick."  
  
"But how'd they get the upper hand? Gorth Demons are simple lower level demons; I'm surprised they would even consider attacking the Charmed Ones." Leo said as he fixed the Grandfather clock.  
  
"So that's why we keep you around." Paige said as she saw the clock magically fix itself. "And here I was thinking you were Wyatt's and Chris' father." As Paige spoke, Phoebe remembered the earlier events that led to the dinner that would have made Jenny Craig keel over.  
  
"That reminds me, how come you can orb in here, heal your son and Paige then help with the clean up, but you won't be here for your son's sixteenth birthday?" Phoebe asked glaring at her brother-in-law.  
  
"I have to be up there," Leo began pointing to the ceiling, "the Elders are calling all the Whitelighters back, it's not just me." Both Paige and Phoebe just looked over at Leo.  
  
"How can you honestly tell me that the Elders are making you miss your own son's birthday? Isn't that like something the Source would have done?" Phoebe replied off-handedly.  
  
"The source? What made you bring him up?" Leo asked hoping to distract the sisters from asking any further questions.  
  
"I don't know, I just thought it sounded like something only the truly evil would do. You know, deprive a father of celebrating his son's birth and ruin the child's day with an absent father."  
  
"You know, it's hard to believe it's been almost twenty years since we vanquished the Source." Paige added as she tipped the last of the glass into the bin. "There all clean, now all we need is some windows."  
  
Phoebe turned to Leo. "Don't suppose," Waving her hands towards the windows, "you could, you know."  
  
"Sure but if the Elders find out." With that, Leo proceeded to fix the windows.  
  
No sooner had Leo fixed the windows did he hear that all too familiar jingle. As he directed his eyes to the ceiling, Phoebe let out a moan. "You've got to be kidding me; they can't be calling you back. You can't go; Leo your son still needs you."  
  
"Phoebe I can't ignore them. I have to go."  
  
"Uncle Leo you can't go, Chris needs you. You have to talk to him." Melinda said as she poked her head round the wall.  
  
"I'll try and make it back for his birthday." Leo replied, though no one really believed he'd make it. It never failed, when Chris wanted or needed his father to be around the Elders would have an emergency or a charge would need him.  
  
Before anyone could say anything more Leo had gone. "Chris is going to by so heartbroken." Phoebe said as she opened her arms to let Melinda in.  
  
As Melinda rested her head against Phoebe's body, she was struck by a realisation. "I think Vanessa and me have the good side of the deal when it comes to dads."  
  
Phoebe was dumbfounded by what her daughter had just said. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well Uncle Richard was always there for Vanessa. He would hold her until she fell asleep, he never left her, and he even died saving her life. As for me, well I never met him but I have all the best stories and memories from you." Phoebe couldn't take anymore she picked up her daughter and gave her the biggest hug ever.  
  
"You're right Vanessa's Dad did love her very deeply and I know for a fact that your Daddy loves you."  
  
"Yeah, I can see Jason looking down from up there, telling everyone around how his daughter is the smartest and most well-behaved girl in the world." Paige added as a tear fell down her cheek.  
  
"But Chris doesn't have anything like that. Uncle Leo is always off with the Elders or with Wyatt. I feel really sad for him." Melinda added as she returned her mothers hug.  
  
"Oh honey Leo loves Chris more than you know; you should have seen him when Chris was hurt. Only a father who loves his child could have such fear and yet such hope in their eyes." Phoebe replied as she sat her daughter down on a near by chair.  
  
"Chris was hurt!" Vanessa exclaimed, a look of pure terror spread across her face. "You said he was just worn out." She continued looking from her mother to her aunt.  
  
"Hey, hey it's okay. Chris was just drained and Leo helped him along in recharging his batteries." Paige replied with a soothing voice, hoping Vanessa would calm down before she roused Chris. "He cast a powerful spell to vanquish a very powerful demon. He was so brave, but now he needs to rest." Vanessa began to understand, if Chris had cast a spell out of the Book of Shadows it could have very well drained him, those spells were meant for more experienced witches, like Charmed Ones.  
  
"Mum, what spell did Chris cast? Was it a power of three spell?" Melinda asked wanting to know everything that Chris had done after he'd left them.  
  
Phoebe turned to her sister; they still didn't know what kind of spell Chris had cast themselves. It was undoubtedly a powerful spell and Phoebe didn't want to worry her daughter or her niece unnecessarily, they idolised their cousin. Seeing Phoebe's internal struggle Paige decided the best course of action was to distract both girls and the best distraction she could come up with was the book. Those two loved to look through the Book of Shadows. "Why don't you two go get the book and have a look?" As soon as Paige finished both Vanessa and Melinda ran from the room in search of the book.  
  
"You do realise that they won't find it, right? Whatever that spell was, it's gone." Phoebe said as their two girls could be heard arguing over who was going to carry the book into the conservatory.  
  
"But at least they'll be kept occupied. That way we can try and figure out what happened before Chris wakes up." As the girls returned with the book, everyone was startled by Piper's anguished cries.  
  
"Phoebe! Paige!"  
  
"Oh no!" Phoebe's mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion, Chris was dead or dying, nothing else could cause Piper to sound so scared. Immediately all four ran for the stairs.  
  
Knowing that they might need the book Paige paused and turned towards the Book of Shadows, which Melinda had abandoned on the floor of the conservatory. However, as she held out her hands to orb it, it vanished in a blinding light. "Where'd it go?"  
  
"Phoebe! Paige!" Piper cried out once more this time her cries were punctuated with what was undoubtedly sobs. Figuring whatever was going on up stairs to be far more important Paige followed the others into Chris' room.  
  
As they entered, nothing could have prepared them for what lay before them.  
  
"Oh my god!" Phoebe could only gasp as she saw her sister cradling her youngest son, his face pale and lifeless.  
  
"No! No, Leo said he was okay. He said he'd be fine." Paige couldn't believe the sight before them anymore than Phoebe.  
  
"Leo! Leo we need you! Chris needs you! Damnit!" Phoebe called out but nothing happened.  
  
"My baby, please no!" Piper hadn't noticed that her sisters had entered the room. "Chris honey, wake up, be a good boy and wake up!"  
  
"Mum!" Vanessa cried out as she grabbed her mother pulling her close, shielding herself from the nightmare they were witnessing.  
  
"No Chris!" Melinda just stood there frozen on the spot.  
  
"Leo! Leo, get your ass down here right now!" Phoebe called out once more, but still Leo didn't appear. Suddenly Phoebe was hit by an idea. "The book! The book did this, the book can reverse it." Tears now flowing down her face.  
  
"It's gone!" Paige said quietly over her own tears. "I was about to orb it but it vanished."  
  
"What! It can't just vanish! It has to be moved from the Manor by one of us." Phoebe bellowed. "There are magical safeguards to prevent it from being taken!"  
  
"I know but it's gone." Paige replied not taking her eyes of her eldest sister as she rocked her son's body back and forth trying to wake him.  
  
"Call it again! And this time you call it!" Phoebe said as her anger and fear began to take hold. How could anyone let a child die just for wanting to protect his family? It wasn't fair.  
  
"Book! Book!" Paige called out but still the book didn't appear. "Book of Shadows!" As the realisation hit that the Book of Shadows wasn't going to help them Paige collapsed, shaking uncontrollably, they were going to lose their nephew.  
  
As all the Halliwell's were now realising that they'd lost their nephew, their cousin, their son, Piper was overcome with grief. She had lost so many to magic but she would refuse to let it claim her son this easily. "No, this will not happen!" Piper raged as she laid her son's head down. "I lost a mother and a sister to magic, I will not lose you too, you hear me Christopher Perry Halliwell!" As she spoke, she turned to her nieces. "Go to the attic and bring me five crystals and five white candles." Vanessa and Melinda could only stare at their aunt, what could she do? It was already too late. "You go get me that stuff or leave!" Piper bellowed.  
  
"Piper there's nothing you can do. He's gone." Phoebe replied as tears streamed down her face. "You have to accept that maybe it was his time." She continued, moving towards her sister to provide what little comfort she could.  
  
"Don't you dare! My son is not gone! It's not his time." Piper glared at her sisters, she swore the day he was born to protect him; she was supposed to protect him, not the other way round. "Get the crystals or just get out!"  
  
Paige turned to Vanessa. "Honey please go up to the attic." Phoebe couldn't believe Paige was going alone with Piper. "It's what she wants, we have no right to stop her, he was her son."  
  
"Is my son! He will not die today, not as long as I stand here." Piper snapped. Both girls understood what Paige was saying, so they quickly ran to fetch what their aunt had asked for. "It's alright baby, everything will be okay, I promise. Mommy will make it alright, you'll see." Piper lent over her son's bed and placed a soft kiss on his brow once again.  
  
As she stood back Melinda and Vanessa returned with the supplies. "What are you going to do?" Phoebe asked, finally accepting the fact that Piper couldn't and wouldn't just sit by as her son died after saving their lives.  
  
"What any mother would do." As Vanessa handed her aunt the supplies she encircled Chris' bed with the five crystals, beside which she placed a candle, creating a scared space around her son.  
  
_ "In this night and in this hour,  
I call upon the ancient power,  
Bring back my son,  
Bring him to me,  
Blood of my blood I summon thee,  
Blood of my blood return to me."_  
  
As Piper recited the spell, the five crystals began to glow, yet Chris still lay motionless. The pain within Piper's eyes was unbearable; Paige and Phoebe had to do something. If the love of a mother wasn't strong enough, then maybe the power of three would be. As if coming to the same decision, both Paige and Phoebe moved to stand beside their grieving sister, as they took each other hands they could only pray that they were strong enough to reverse the damage caused by the unknown spell.  
  
_ "In this night and in this hour,  
We call upon our ancient power,  
Bring back our loved one, our nephew, our son,  
By the power of three let it be,  
Blood to blood we summon thee,  
Blood to blood return to thee."_  
  
The crystals began to glow brighter, but still Chris' body remained as it had done before, motionless, lifeless. Piper couldn't take the pain anymore, her strength was waning, and her son was gone.  
  
"No try it again. You have to try it again." Melinda cried as Piper collapsed to the floor.  
  
"You're the Charmed Ones. You vanquished the Source of all evil. You can undo a stupid spell." Vanessa spat as her mother turned to her, tears streaming down her own face.  
  
"I failed. I couldn't protect him." As Piper looked on, Chris' body began to rise into the air, the white crystals that failed to restore his life began to cast an eerie blue light through out the room. 


	5. Part 5

**A/N:** Okay here we go again. I hope you like this, coz it's like the third rewrite I've done but anyway I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed for this fic so far. I love hearing what you all think of it. I just hope I can keep up the good work.  
  
**Thanks to:** Warm as Ice, SpiritofEowyn, cherry7up56, buffspike, whateveryouwantittobe, Claddagh Ring, slain, Pink-Charmed-One, The Astringent, AK8 and Dragonfireceo keep the reviews coming... please.

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Chris was confused; they wanted to give him a gift. What for? He hadn't done anything special that would warrant him receiving a gift. So he had vanquished the Gorth Demon but that was to save his family, anyone would have done the same. "I... I don't understand, why? What gift?" Chris asked as he looked from one ancestor to another.  
  
"My brave son, the world is full of so much pain, so much darkness that we forget what is and what is to come. Our destinies are laid out before us, yet we do not see. You, you are destined for great things." Melinda Warren replied smiling at her Great-Grandson.  
  
"My destiny? What could I possibly do that is so special? Wyatt's the special one; he's the Twice-Blessed child." Chris asked, remembering how everyone treated Wyatt.  
  
"Honey," Prue called out to her nephew, "believe us when we say you're destined for great things, okay." Prue's words brought a smile to his face, if the entire Halliwell line believed in him who was he to say anything.  
  
Seeing Chris' acceptance Penny once again stepped forth. "But before we can begin we'll be needing the book." Turning to Patricia and Prue, Penny continued, "I believe you two know what to do."  
  
With that, both Patricia and Prue moved out of the circle. "Honey, take our hands." Prue said. Chris did as he was told. Upon taking their hands, they both began to cast a spell.  
  
_ "We call upon the ancient power,  
To help us in this darkest hour,  
Let the book return to thee,  
Bring it forth so let it be."_  
  
As they finished the spell, a blinding flash of light appeared above their heads. Chris was shocked to see the Book of Shadows fall to the clouds on which they where standing. "How'd you...? I thought the book couldn't be removed from the Manor?" Chris asked, his confusion returning in spades.  
  
"Honey any Halliwell witch can summon the book, it's just here you require more than one." Penny replied as she picked the book up and handed it to Melinda. As she examined the book, Melinda noticed Chris had a question brewing in his mind.  
  
"Christopher, what is it that you wish to know?"  
  
"You said that this was a part of the spell I cast from the book, right? What was that spell anyway? How did I manage to vanquish the Gorth Demon?" Chris said running his sentences together.  
  
"The spell you cast is one of the oldest and most powerful forms of magic. You know the story of how the Charmed Ones defeated the evil Titans, yes?" Chris simply nodded; everyone in the Halliwell family knew how the Titans had been vanquished. "You're mother was given the greatest power of all the Gods, power over nature. Power such as that can not be obtained then simply given away without leaving behind something special."  
  
"You mean Mum has power over nature?" Chris asked dumbfounded.  
  
"No, she was marked with the power so that if she were to bear a child, that child would be able to call upon that same great power." Melinda continued as Chris was finally beginning to understand how he vanquished the Gorth Demon. "Unfortunately the power is too strong and too demanding for someone so young."  
  
Just as Chris began to ask another question, one of his ancestors walked up to Melinda Warren. "They are attempting to summon the boy back. If we do not hurry it will be too late." Melinda just smiled and inclined her heard slightly.  
  
"My dear daughter, everything in its own time. Patience is the key here; we cannot begin until everything is in place." Melinda took Chris by the hand. "Christopher you must do as I ask of you. Can you do that for me?" Chris couldn't help but notice the pleading look his Great ancestor was giving him.  
  
"Yes, what do you want me to do?" Chris replied, a nervous twinge was starting to develop in the pit of his stomach.  
  
"I, we," Melinda began waving a hand to all the Halliwells that encircled them, "need you to be strong. The gift we are going to give you can also be seen as a curse, you must promise me, us, your family that you will always do what is right no matter the consequences, no matter how hard it may seem you must always do the right thing. Do you understand me?" Chris understood, he was after all the son of a Charmed One.  
  
"I promise but what does this have to do with my destiny? What is my destiny?" Chris said, his fear and nervousness growing as everyone now wore the most serious looks.  
  
"That is something I cannot answer. Our destinies maybe written but they must be discovered on our own. Outside forces may seem to alter our path but as long as you stay true, you will reach what you seek, that is why you must promise me you will always do what is right." Melinda said as she once again engulfed Chris in a hug.  
  
"I promise." Chris whispered in reply.  
  
"Remember, our futures whilst they lie before us may impact the past just as much as our future." Melinda added speaking into Chris' ear.  
  
As her words echoed through his mind Chris was thrown deeper into confusion, what was she trying to tell him? How could the future affect the past? "I..." but before he could continue Melinda turned to her daughters.  
  
"My daughters the time is almost upon us." With that, she returned to her place within the circle. "My daughters, my sisters, my friends I ask that you open your minds and your hearts. Let the words of the Charmed Ones ring out." As Melinda spoke all Chris' ancestors took each other's hands within their own. "Let the love of a mother transcend life and death."  
  
As Melinda continued, Chris watched on as storm clouds began to blacken the sky. The light from the eternal sunset faded, leaving only the ghostly light of his ancestors. "What's going on?" Before Chris could have his question answered, his mother's voice echoed out overhead.  
  
**_In this night and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power, Bring back my son, Bring him to me, Blood of my blood I summon thee, Blood of my blood return to me.  
_**  
"Mum! Mum I'm here, Mum!" Chris called out, the pain in her voice cut deep. His mother was one of the strongest people he knew; only something seriously wrong could cause her so much pain.  
  
"The time has come to pass the gift." Chris turned to see Melinda and the rest of his ancestors close their eyes. They were going to give him the gift but why did they have to wait until his mother was in so much pain? What could they hope to gain by causing her to suffer that much?  
  
_ "We call upon the ancient power,  
To help this young one in his darkest hour,  
Heed the hope within our minds,  
And grant now him a power divine."_  
  
The moment the final words were spoken, the gathering storm clouds erupted to life, showering down immense blots of lightning. The Book of Shadows flew out of Melinda's hands and over Chris' head, the triquetra glowing. As each strike hit, Chris braced himself, he'd never storm as big as the one that was raging overhead.  
  
The storm continued to grow yet the ancestors remained unconcerned, they appeared to be in some kind of trance. "Grams, Aunt Prue what's going on?" Chris bellowed but his voice was drowned out by another clap of thunder. As he was about to call out once more his Aunt's voices echoed overhead just as Piper's had done moments before.  
  
_**In this night and in this hour, We call upon our ancient power, Bring back our loved one, our nephew, our son, By the power of three let it be, Blood to blood we summon thee, Blood to blood return to thee.**_  
  
No sooner had the sister's voices faded, then did the storm and the ghostly glow of the ancestors increase. The light and the noise reached unbearable levels; Chris couldn't see or hear anything, then nothing. Chris opened his eyes but all he was greeted with was total darkness. "Grams, Aunt Prue is anyone there?" Chris bellowed but no reply came, he was alone. The storm had vanished. His ancestors where gone. "Hello is anyone there? Mum! Aunt Phoebe! Aunt Paige!" As Chris continued to call out to the darkness, he was hit with a warm feeling spreading throughout his entire body. He felt safe here, wherever here was, he knew he was safe.  
  
"Chris." A familiar voice called out to him from the darkness. "Oh Chris I am so proud of you my son." As the voice continued a small wisp of light appeared before his eyes.  
  
"Who are you? Where am I?" Chris called out; whilst the voice seemed familiar, he was still unsure as to where he was. "Is this part of my gift?" Chris continued.  
  
"You are where lost souls transverse to be found. You are somewhere yet you are nowhere." The light continued to grow in intensity as the voice grew louder as if coming closer.  
  
"I don't understand. I thought I wasn't dead. I thought I was supposed to see my family." Chris was becoming frustrated and scared, he didn't want to die.  
  
"You don't have to be afraid Chris; this is just the last step in your journey back." Chris now realised who the voice belonged to, his mother.  
  
"Mum! But... but... but you're not dead. You can't be dead! No please you can't!" Chris cried out, tears forming in his eyes. As Chris looked up the light began to take shape, the shape of his mother. "Mum!"  
  
"Oh honey there's nothing to worry about I'm not really dead. I'm just an echo, a piece of me that was left here so many years ago." Piper walked up to her son and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm only here to tell you that family is the most important thing in the world. The bond between family exceeds good or evil. When the time comes and you have to make the decision, you must remember that I love you and nothing will ever change that." His mother words were beginning to scare him. What did she mean? What decision?  
  
"Mum...?" Chris began to speak but Piper raised her hand.  
  
"Shhh, you'll understand in time, but now you must return." As she looked at her son, all Piper could do was smile. "Remember I'll always love you." With that, the world before him exploded to life. A blinding flash of blue light emanated from beneath Chris engulfing him, and then everything was gone.

* * *

Piper looked on in shock as her youngest son's lifeless body started to float in the air above his bed. The once white crystals were now casting a blue light around the room. "What's going on?" Piper tried to take her son's hand but as she reached over an energy barrier threw her away.  
  
"Piper!" Phoebe rushed over to where Piper now lay. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Where'd that energy barrier come from? Why won't it let me touch him? What's going on?" Piper cried. "The spell was supposed to bring him back to me. Why isn't he coming back?" Piper was now crying openly once more. As Phoebe was about to reply the five crystals exploded in a blinding flash of blue light.  
  
"Mum." A quiet voice called out. Piper immediately forced herself up and over to the bed. As she reached it, her heart jumped, her son was alive, he'd returned to her.  
  
"Oh honey." Piper cried grabbing Chris in the biggest hug she could manage. "You scared me to half to death. Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?" As Piper hugged and frantically looked her son over, Phoebe, Paige, Melinda and Vanessa were standing in complete shock. They had brought their nephew back from the dead. When Piper was sure that her son hadn't suffered any injuries, she looked over at her sisters, the tears streaming down everyone's faces. "I told you he wasn't dead, now come over here and give your nephew a hug before I..." Piper wasn't able to finish her sentence as everyone rushed over and engulfed Chris in the biggest group hug he could have ever imagined.  
  
"You know you scared us all to death, what were you thinking?" Paige asked fighting back the tears.  
  
"Yeah I think I aged twenty years in like five minutes. I hope you're happy?" Phoebe added unable to fight back her tears as her Empathic powers were working over time.  
  
"I'm sorry." Chris replied, a lone tear falling down his cheek. "You'll never guess where I was though." As he spoke Vanessa's curiosity was peeked.  
  
"Where did you go? What did you see? You have to tell us!" Paige simply grabbed her daughter; oh, how much she reminded her of herself as a child. Always wanting to know everything right away. "You have to tell us everything, including the spell you cast."  
  
"Yeah, I hear it rocked. And hey where'd you get an energy barrier anyway?" Melinda chimed in. "Coz if their just giving them a way I want one too." She added with a smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes.  
  
"Energy barrier?" Chris asked confused, looking around the room. "What energy barrier?"  
  
"Yeah just before you, you know, returned, you had an energy barrier." Vanessa replied not wanting to mention what had just happened.  
  
"So that's what they gave me." Chris said off-handedly.  
  
"Huh? Someone gave you something?" Vanessa asked practically bouncing on the bed with excitement.  
  
"What? Oh yeah. Well I was kinda 'up there'." Chris said moving his head towards the ceiling.  
  
"Wait you where up there with the Elders?" Phoebe chimed in slightly annoyed that Leo still hadn't shown.  
  
"The Elders? No I was 'up-up there'." As Chris said that, everybody's face fell. So he had died but they were able to bring him back with the power of three. "At first I didn't know where I was but Great-Grams and Grams came and well, they didn't actually tell me much. Except that they were proud of me for vanquishing the demon."  
  
"Wait you saw Mum and Grams? They saw what you did?" Paige asked wondering just how much they could see and did see.  
  
"Yeah but that's not all," Chris began to move off his bed but Piper placed her hand on his shoulders.  
  
"Oh no you just died. You're not leaving that bed until I'm sure you are alright."  
  
"Aww but I'm fine." Chris whined back, he hated having to stay in one place for too long.  
  
"No buts mister, sit!" Piper said firmly but her face betrayed her tone. She was just happy that her son was back. "But let's hear more about what happened 'up-up there'." Piper added, once again indicating the ceiling.  
  
Chris realising he wasn't going to win settled back down. "Well then Aunt Prue came. She told me I'm so much like you mum." Piper could take it anymore the unshed tears now flowing freely.  
  
"You saw Prue? How is she? Is she okay? What is she doing?" Phoebe interrupted, it had been so long since they had seen their eldest sister; they missed her everyday since she died.  
  
"Well she's fine or was fine but we didn't talk too much coz Great-Grams called forth all the Halliwell witches. They said they wanted to give me a gift. Something about my destiny." As Chris was about to continue he became light-headed. "Whoa!"  
  
"Honey!" Piper rushed to his side. "What's wrong?" Her fear returned ten fold.  
  
"I'm cool, it's just I feel kinda light-headed." Chris knew the Piper would want to call a stop to his story but he really didn't want to stop, he had so much to tell them.  
  
"I think you should rest. You've had a big day." Piper replied moving to usher everyone out.  
  
"No I'm fine... really." Chris pleaded with his mother. Seeing how much he wanted to continue Piper folded, she could make him rest all day tomorrow and she would. "Anyway Melinda Warren told me that the spell from the Book of Shadows I cast was what sent me 'up there'. That it was the only place I could receive this gift."  
  
"Oh no, the book! It vanished just after Piper called out." Paige exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah I know. They needed it. I'm not sure what for but they cast this spell and a huge storm started up." Chris paused before continuing as he remembered hearing his mother's pained cries. "I heard you. They were waiting for you Mum. They waited for you to start summoning me back."  
  
"Why? Why would they need to wait for me to summon you back?" Piper asked reminding herself the next time she called her Grams she would have to have a long conversation about making her son appear dead just to give him something.  
  
"I don't know but after you cast the power of three spell everything disappeared and I was in this dark place were you came to me." Chris continued looking over at his mother. "But it wasn't you. It was an echo or something, you said I would have to make a decision about my family and that you'll always love me no matter what." As Chris finished Piper rushed back over to her son's bed and hugged him once again.  
  
"Oh honey of course I'll always love you. I love you more that anything in this world or the next remember?" Piper squeezed once more then kissed his brow before releasing him.  
  
"What was the gift they gave you?" Melinda blurted out the suspense was killing her.  
  
"Melinda!" Phoebe scolded light-heartedly; truthfully, she wanted to know just as much as her daughter did.  
  
"Well they didn't actually tell me but it has something to do with Mum when she was a Goddess. They said that because she was a Goddess that any child she bore would have that same power." It was as if the room entered a vacuum state as everyone gasped simultaneously.  
  
"Are you telling me you were given the power of the Gods?" Melinda asked her jealousy evident.  
  
"I don't think so. I mean I don't feel stronger but you said I had an energy barrier before so maybe they changed my powers or gave me new ones." Chris replied now even more eager to get off his bed to test his powers. Piper as if sensing Chris' desire to start using his magic stepped in.  
  
"I don't want you to even think about using your powers until your father has a look at you." As Chris saw the look within his Mum's eyes, he realised that if he went behind her back he'd regret it. "Leo! Leo! Where is he?" Piper asked her sisters.  
  
"He was called back by the Elders. We tried to call him before but he didn't come." As Chris heard his Aunt Phoebe tell his mother that his dad didn't even come when they thought he was dying he felt a surge of power within himself.  
  
"Leo! Leo get you ass down here!" Piper called out again but still Leo didn't come. "Where is he? Why isn't he coming?" Before Piper could receive an answer from anyone Phoebe and Melinda yelled out.  
  
"Oh no!" However, it was too late, the surge of power sent everyone flying as an energy barrier erected itself around Chris.  
  
"Okay that wasn't fun." Paige retorted as she pulled her self up. "Nice warning system you two."  
  
"Oww, how was I supposed to know he'd do that? This morning he couldn't do that." Phoebe replied as she lifted Melinda off her.  
  
"Oh god, I'm sorry, I didn't want to do that!" Chris said his eyes relaying his horror at what he'd just done. "I could help it. Is anyone hurt?"  
  
"No, no I'm fine." Piper replied as she lifted her self off her niece. "What about you Vanessa, you okay?"  
  
"I'll live." Vanessa replied before wincing. How could she joke about life and death after what they had just been through? As everyone got up off the floor, they heard a loud crash from down stairs.  
  
"Mum demon!" 


	6. Part 6

**A/N:** Hey, sorry it's been a while since the last update. I've kinda been busy with exams but now that they're all over, I have more time to devote to the story. I would like to thank Dragonfireceo who pointed out some grammatical errors in the story. I'm sorry about that but I have gone through and hopefully corrected most of them. Some of the errors that were brought to my attention aren't actually errors but different rules of English. As I'm Australian, the rules in spelling and grammar are a bit different to say the American style, so I'm sorry if this causes any inconvenience. Anyway, I hope you like this next chapter, so please read and review.  
  
**Thanks for your reviews:** Pink-Charmed-One, Sickle Sword, X3, Cat, Willows2, cherry7up56, buffspike, Dragonfireceo, Claddagh Ring and Kel.

* * *

Wyatt Halliwell orbed into the living room and braced himself. He could sense a demon was moments from shimmering in. As he held up his hand, a blue energy ball appeared. It felt like an eternity before the demon materialised but Wyatt didn't waste any time. He threw the energy ball towards the demon, but before it could connect and destroy it, some kind of protective field enveloped the demon. "Hey that's so not fair!" Wyatt exclaimed as he tried to telekinetically throw the demon against the wall.  
  
The demon however, simply stared Wyatt down, his protective field reflecting his attack. Before Wyatt could react, he was sent flying into the display cabinet. "You stupid witch. Do you honestly think you can fight me?" The demon hissed, its green eyes glowing menacingly.  
  
"I'd given it some thought." Wyatt retorted before forcing himself up. The demon simply sneered and sent a fireball towards him.  
  
Wyatt, this time ready for the demon's attack deflected the fireball. "Mum demon!" Wyatt called out hoping his mother was around somewhere.  
  
"What's this, the Twice-blessed child summoning his mother to vanquish the bad widdle demon?" The demon mocked as everybody was making their way down the stairs.  
  
"Hey! We just finished cleaning in there!" Paige exclaimed orbing a large piece of wood at the demon. Unfortunately, the demon once again protected itself with its force field.  
  
"What!" Melinda cried. "Did I like miss the memo on how to get your own energy barrier?" Vanessa simply laughed as her cousin's jealousy over Chris' new power resurfaced. "Can it Ness."  
  
"Girls I want you to go up stairs." Phoebe said as she and her sisters ran to help Wyatt.  
  
"Aww but..." Both girls cried out in unison.  
  
"No buts, now scram." Phoebe retorted.  
  
"And the same goes for you Chris. I want you safe until we figure out what happened." Piper added as the demon threw a fireball towards Paige, who managed to redirect it back at the demon.  
  
"Mum I can help. I vanquished the last demon all by my self." Chris whined in reply.  
  
"I don't care, I want to know you're safe." Piper shot back. Chris knew better than to argue with is Mum, especially when it came to fighting demons. As Piper disappeared into the living room, Vanessa and Melinda started back upstairs.  
  
"I can't believe they still treat us like babies." Melinda said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.  
  
"Well then," Chris began, catching the attention of both his cousins. "Looks like we'll just have to prove we can hold our own."

* * *

"Okay this is totally unfair!" Phoebe said as she once again picked herself up off the floor. "Every time we try and kill it, it just hides behind that energy barrier!"  
  
"You don't possess the power to destroy me witches! My master had blessed all demons against your magic." The demon hissed as he threw Piper into Phoebe knocking her to the floor once again.  
  
"Oh honey, I'm sorry." Piper said as she rolled off her sister.  
  
"No you're not." Phoebe retorted. "You think this is just so very funny!" Piper couldn't hold back her laughter as Phoebe glared at her. "Oh sure laugh it up. Just wait 'til the next time I'm set flying, I'll aim for you." Just as Piper was about to reply, both Paige and Wyatt were sent flying into the conservatory. "Paige!"  
  
"Wyatt!" Both Piper and Phoebe rushed into the conservatory to see if anyone was badly injured. "Are you alright?" Piper asked seeing her eldest son sprawled over what was once the coffee table. However, before he could answer several fireballs were sent their way.  
  
"Look out!" Melinda bellowed as the fireballs came rushing closer.  
  
"Whoa!" Piper exclaimed as she flicked her hands, freezing the fireballs mere inches away from her.  
  
"Oww! Okay this, this is just getting ridiculous." Paige said as Vanessa rushed over to help her mother off the floor.  
  
"You're telling me." Phoebe replied. "And didn't I tell you two to stay upstairs?" Phoebe continued eyeing Melinda and Vanessa, who were now standing rather sheepishly to one side.  
  
"Less talk, more vanquishing!" Chris replied as the demon appeared in the doorway. Piper again flicked her hands but nothing happened.  
  
"Erm... he won't freeze. Why won't he freeze?" Piper asked backing up slightly.  
  
"How should I know? Blow him up instead." Paige shot back. Piper again flicked her hands towards the demon, this time intending to blow him up. "Anytime you're ready Piper!"  
  
"I'm trying. It's not working." The demon continued to advance, seeing the Charmed Ones feeble attempts at destroying him, he merely laughed.  
  
As the demon was preparing to strike out at the Charmed Ones, Chris charged, attempting to tackle the demon to the ground. "You fool!" The demon roared as he sent Chris threw a window.  
  
"Chris!" Piper bellowed as her baby disappeared from sight. "That's it!" Piper turned back to the demon, rage emanating from her eyes. She tried once more to blow the demon up. Her rage fuelling her power, Piper was able to send the demon flying back into the living room.  
  
"Go Mum!" Wyatt exclaimed as he moved to stand beside her. "Remind me never to annoy you." Everyone was now moving to see if Piper had managed to vanquish the demon.  
  
"You think it's that easy to defeat me? I've existed for untold centuries." The demon bellowed as he stood up from behind the couch.  
  
"Well I really don't give a damn!" The six Halliwell's could only look on as Chris orbed in and sent the demon flying once again.  
  
"Okay this day just keeps getting better!" Melinda said vehemently. "Not only does he get an energy barrier, but he is kicking some serious demon butt!"  
  
"What energy barrier?" Wyatt asked looking at his younger brother. However, before anyone could answer the demon sent a wave of fireballs in Chris' direction. "Chris!" Wyatt yelled moving to help his brother, but he was too slow, before Wyatt could even think about redirecting the attack an energy barrier erected in front of Chris, absorbing the fireballs. "Okay that's new."  
  
"You have no idea." Chris replied as he smiled at his brother. "We need the book."  
  
"Well there's one small problem, it's gone." Paige replied, as she brushed a piece of wood out of her hair.  
  
"What! What do you mean the books gone?" Wyatt asked, his concern etched over his face. "Where is it?"  
  
"How should I know? One moment it was there," Paige answered pointing to the spot on the conservatory floor where the book had vanished from, "The next it was gone."  
  
"Today I will become the most infamous demon in the underworld. For today I destroy the Halliwell line forever." The demon hissed as he sent a massive fireball in Chris' direction once again.  
  
"Whoa!" Chris exclaimed as he began to move out of the way, however, as he moved the whole room froze. "Thanks Mum. I owe you big time." Chris said as he moved over to his mother.  
  
"I... I didn't do this. It wasn't me." Piper replied as she surveyed both the fireball and the demon, both of which were frozen.  
  
"Well if you didn't, who did?" Chris asked looking from one family member to the next.  
  
"Well I know it wasn't me." Phoebe replied, "I mean, it can only really be three people."  
  
"Huh, which three?" Wyatt asked, as his face contorted in confusion.  
  
"It was either Piper, Wyatt or Chris. Cause I know Melinda doesn't have the ability to freeze time and I'm fairly certain Vanessa can't either." Phoebe answered.  
  
"Well it wasn't me, I mean I tried before and it didn't work." Piper said, her gaze travelling from Wyatt to Chris, as if searching for the answer.  
  
"Hey I maybe the Twice-blessed one but it wasn't me." Wyatt retorted as the sisters eyes fell on him.  
  
"My god something the all powerful Wyatt can't do." Melinda whispered to Vanessa, luckily only Chris overheard her.  
  
"Well that leaves you honey." Piper said looking to Chris. "Is there any chance you did this?" Unfortunately, before Chris could answer both the fireball and the demon unfroze. "Hey!" Piper exclaimed as the fireball destroyed the picture above the fireplace.  
  
"We need the Book of Shadows to check for a vanquishing spell!" Paige said as Chris and Wyatt both used their telekinetic powers to throw the demon against the wall.  
  
"Summon it then. That's how the ancestors did it." Chris replied as the demon sent Wyatt into the wall.  
  
"How?" Phoebe asked as Chris was also sent flying.  
  
As Chris hit the floor he managed to say the first line of the summoning spell, he only hoped that it would work.  
  
_ I call upon the ancient power..._  
  
As if understanding what he was trying to do Melinda used her telepathy to read his mind.  
  
_ To help us in this darkest hour,  
Let the book return to this place..._  
  
But before she could say anymore, the demon sent her flying into Vanessa.  
  
"Hey!" Paige bellowed orbing a large shard of glass towards the demon; however, the protective force field prevented it from contacting once again. "That is seriously getting annoying.  
  
Phoebe understood what Chris and Melinda had started so she used her own telepathy to finish the spell.  
  
_ Claim refuge in its rightful space._  
  
As Phoebe said the final words of the spell, a blinding light erupted above her head and the book fell to the floor. "Yes!" Phoebe exclaimed. As she bent down to collect the book the pages began to turn on their own. "You know that's still kinda creepy." The book stopped on a page wit the very demon they were now fighting. "Okay, there is a vanquishing spell here." Phoebe called out. "But it's not a power of three spell!"  
  
"Oh good." Piper replied as she ducted another fireball. "Anytime you're ready Pheebs!"  
  
"Yeah, about that, I can't do this spell!" Phoebe replied with a nervous chuckle.  
  
"What! Why?" Paige and Piper both exclaimed in unison.  
  
"Well, it requires the two son's of the Charmed Ones."  
  
"Huh!" Both Chris and Wyatt replied together. This confusion gave the demon another opportunity to once again reclaim the upper hand. Realising his powers weren't yet strong enough to destroy Wyatt he sent a fireball in Melinda's direction.  
  
"Mel!" Chris bellowed as he saw the fireball make contact, sending her flying into the wall. Chris didn't know how it happened but the Book of Shadows flew into his arms as he cried out, watching his cousin's limp body fall to the floor. He looked down at the page as Wyatt ran to his side.  
  
_ A brother's bond reaching out through time and space,  
Summon the magic to this place,  
Let our powers cross the line,  
And vanquish this demon from this and every time.  
_  
As both brothers looked up from the Book of Shadows, they noticed the demon wincing and screaming out in pain. As they continued to watch, the demon's skin began to crack, a bright white light erupted. The demon's cries increased as the light intensified. Everyone had to shield their eyes as the light reached unbearable levels. Then there was silence. Chris tried to look past the light to see if the demon had been vanquished but as he attempted to move closer, everyone was knocked over by the force of the demon exploding.  
  
"Now that was cool!" Wyatt said as he sat up, surveying the place where the demon had just stood.  
  
"Mel!" Phoebe cried as she rushed over to her daughter's side.  
  
"Oh God, Leo! Leo we need you." Piper called out. Melinda lay on the floor, a flowing wound in her chest. "Leo, Melinda's hurt! We need you to heal her." Piper called again but still Leo didn't appear.  
  
"Dad!" Chris bellowed as he ran to Melinda's side. "No, no, no, no this wasn't supposed to happen!" Chris continued, tears forming in his eyes.  
  
"Where's Leo? He should be here by now!" Phoebe snapped.  
  
Chris knew his father wasn't coming. It was the same story; he was busy elsewhere, saving other innocents, other charges. But Chris also knew this was different, his father wasn't just abandoning him this time, no, this time he was abandoning his niece. As Chris' thoughts progressed, he came to an understanding, if his father wasn't going to help, then it was up to him. He just hoped the ancestors had given him the ability to heal.  
  
As Chris placed his hands over Melinda's chest, he finally noticed the look of sheer terror etched across her face. This was not going to be her last expression. No one deserved to die with a look of pure fear on their face. Chris tried to calm his mind and search for the power to heal, but it never came. All he could feel was the warmth of Melinda's blood as it covered his hands. "What's the use of being half Whitelighter if you can't heal!" Chris spat as Melinda lay in front of him, motionless.  
  
Everyone was in too much shock to think. Their niece, their cousin was lying before them, bleeding to death and the only person capable of saving her was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Vanessa was now kneeling beside Chris, her tears flowing over her checks. How could a day that started out great end up causing her so much pain? She had almost lost her older cousin after he saved the Charmed Ones, now it looked like she was going to lose Melinda. "Mel you... you can't give up... you can't leave me with both the boys to deal with." Vanessa said through her sobs. As she reached out to touch Melinda's shoulder, a lone tear fell on her hand. The moment Vanessa's hand connected with Melinda it began to glow a heavenly gold.  
  
"Ne...Ness?" Everyone was startled as Melinda's eyes opened.  
  
"Melinda!" Phoebe exclaimed as her daughter spoke. "You're okay!" Phoebe continued as she examined where the wound had been just moments before. "How? Who?" The situation was beginning to take its toll on Phoebe, as she was no longer able to form even basic sentences.  
  
"Vanessa healed me." Melinda retorted. "I could feel her, hear her. She said I couldn't leave her with the boys. Then I felt this warm force healing me." Melinda said, smiling at her younger cousin.  
  
The fullness finally hit Vanessa, she had a new power, she could heal. Before she could voice her excitement, Phoebe engulfed her in the tightest hug she'd ever received. "Thank you, thank you thank you!"  
  
"Erm... Aunt Phoebe I... I can't breathe." Vanessa finally managed to say as Phoebe was almost crushing her.  
  
"Oh sorry." Phoebe replied as she released her niece, smiling sheepishly.

* * *

Several hours after the attack on the Charmed Ones, the Underworld was in chaos. Now more demons were gathered at the Source's chamber. "You pathetic fools, the Charmed Ones are supposed to be dead, yet they still live!" The cloaked figure bellowed.  
  
"You ask us to do the impossible. The Charmed Ones are too powerful!" A lower level demon responded, cowering as the cloaked figure directed his gaze upon the demon.  
  
"I granted those who were to destroy the witches a sample of my power. They should have succeeded!"  
  
"If you are all powerful, then why don't you destroy the witches yourself?" Another demon retorted.  
  
"Yeah, if you are as powerful as you claim, destroy them yourself!" Several demons called out. Unfortunately, before any more demons could join in the uproar, the cloaked figure waved his hand and several demons erupted in flames.  
  
"If it were that simple I would have destroy the witches long ago!" The cloaked figure bellowed as a new demon materialised within the chamber.  
  
"My Lord, I have some news which you will find most pleasing." The new demon said as she approached the throne.  
  
"What is it? Have you seen a way to destroy the Charmed Ones?" The figure replied, directing his full attention to the new comer.  
  
"Tomorrow night the magic which prevents you from directly attacking the witches will expire. You will go to them and destroy them." The chamber fell into silence as every demon listened to this news. The Charmed Ones would be destroyed tomorrow night and all demon kind would dance on their graves.  
  
"What of the children? Their power grows with each passing day." The figure pressed on.  
  
"I see no problem regarding the young witches. Their power is no match for the darkness you possess."

* * *

The Manor was once again clean. It was a good thing that using magic to fix things that were broken by demonic attacks didn't fall under the personal gain category or the clean up would have taken all night.  
  
Phoebe and Paige had taken their daughters home around midnight and Wyatt had gone back to his friend's house before the clean up had started, leaving Piper and Chris alone to talk. "Chris honey I know something's wrong and I want you to talk to me. I want to help" Piper said as they lay on Chris' bed.  
  
"There's nothing wrong Mum." Noticing his mother's concerned look Chris continued. "I promise. I'm fine."  
  
Piper wanted to believe him but Melinda's words kept echoing through her mind.  
  
He thinks Uncle Leo believes he was an accident...  
  
"Chris, now don't get mad at her but..." Chris didn't like where this was heading. Had Melinda told her? But she promised, she promised she would never tell anyone, even she wasn't supposed to know.  
  
_Flashback Begins_  
  
An eight-year-old Wyatt and his younger brother were playing in the backyard. They loved throwing a ball around even if Wyatt would cheat by orbing the ball to different places as Chris was about to catch it. "Hey no powers!" Chris whined as once again Wyatt orbed the ball to the other side of the garden. "Mum said no powers Wyatt." Chris added as he pouted. Chris knew how much his older brother loved to show off, he was after all destined to be the greatest force in magic.  
  
"Where's the fun in that?" Wyatt replied as he orbed the ball back into his hand. Just as he was about to throw it back to his little brother, a demon shimmered into the garden.  
  
"Hello little kiddies!" The demon hissed producing an energy ball.  
  
"Demon!" Wyatt bellowed, hoping his mum would hear him. As the demon saw Chris, standing there stark still, an evil smile crossed its face. "Chris!" Wyatt called out, realising the demon was about to attack his little brother. "Run!" But Chris was too scared; he'd never been so close to a demon before. Every time a demon would attack his mum or his aunt's they'd have Wyatt orb him and his cousins upstairs.  
  
"Your powers will be mine!" The demon hissed as it threw the energy ball at Chris. Wyatt tried to run over to his brother but before he could move, everything froze. Wyatt turned around to find his mother and his Aunt Phoebe looking at the demon, a fury in their eyes.  
  
"Mum!" Wyatt exclaimed as he run to her.  
  
Piper looked down and smiled before calling Chris. "Chris honey, come here." Hearing his mother's voice snapped him out of his daze.  
  
"Mommy!" Chris cried as he ran into her open arms.  
  
"It's okay honey. You're not hurt are you? Leo!" Piper called her husband, in moments he appeared in a swirl of blue light.  
  
"Piper what is it? What's wrong?" Leo asked as Wyatt rushed to hug his father.  
  
"A demon attacked. I want you to check the boys." Piper replied motioning to the frozen demon in the middle of the garden.  
  
"A Seeker demon. They only attack when they sense a young witch using their powers." Leo said as he looked from the demon to his son's. "Where either of you two using magic?" Leo continued, the seriousness of his voice was starting to scare both of them. They both knew they weren't supposed to use their powers for anything but protection.  
  
"We... we were playing with the ball and..." Leo was now eying Wyatt very closely. "And Chris tried to catch the ball but he missed and so he used his powers."  
  
"Chris is this true?" Leo asked glaring at him. "Did you use your powers when you were playing." Chris was shocked Wyatt had just openly lied to his father and accused him of using his powers.  
  
"I... I didn't..." Chris stammered, his father was now getting very angry.  
  
"Chris you know that you can't go around using your powers for the sake of it. Wyatt knows it; the sisters know it, why don't you? You could have exposed magic. Do you know what happened the last time magic was exposed? "  
  
"Leo aren't you being a little hard on him?" Phoebe interjected, remembering the last time they had exposed magic they lost a sister. "We all make mistakes, I know I have but Chris is just a child, he's five years old for heaven's sake." Chris couldn't take it anymore so he ran into the house, tears streaming down his face.  
  
"Chris... Chris honey wait!" Piper called out but he didn't stop. "You were too hard on him Leo."  
  
"He wasn't just risking his own life Piper, he was risking Wyatt's as well." Piper had heard enough before she turned to see if Chris was all right, she blew the demon up.  
  
"Well the demon's gone, now if you don't mind I'm going to see if Chris is okay." With that, Piper walked into the house.  
  
Chris was hiding in the basement; he knew that no one would look for him down there, as it scared most of them. The basement held many secrets; many years ago, when his mother was a little girl his Great Grams had trapped a shadow demon beneath the floor. He remembered his mother telling him once that the Woogie had possessed his Aunt Phoebe turning her evil, but that she had imprisoned it once again, in order to save her sisters. Chris would normally come down to the basement when he wanted to be alone. No one knew that he'd spend hours down there just thinking.  
  
"Chris." The soft voice nearly scared him half to death. "Chris are you down there?" The little voice asked. Chris knew immediately who it was; it was his four-year-old cousin Melinda.  
  
"Mel, leave me alone, please." Chris pleaded as he heard her footsteps on the stairway.  
  
"Aunt Piper is looking for you. Why are you hiding down here?" Chris looked up from his hiding place to see his cousin standing in front of him, her eyes conveying her concern. Chris couldn't hold back anymore, the pain he was feeling was crushing him.  
  
"He hates me." Chris finally let out as his tears stained his face. "He thinks I'm gonna hurt Wyatt." Melinda rushed over to her cousin, she's never seen him like this, so sad and vulnerable.  
  
"Shhh, he doesn't hate you Chris. He was just upset that he could have lost you." Melinda said as she placed her arms around him.  
  
"I wish that were true." Chris managed to say through his quite sobs.  
  
_Flashback Ends_


	7. Part 7

* * *

**A/N:** Okay I know it's been like forever since I updated and I want to apologise right now and beg for forgiveness but I was totally lost in land of writers block. I really think my muse decided to take a holiday, so if any of you see a wondering muse could you send her back.

Okay now this next part in the story was originally going to be longer but I decided that it would be best to split it up, I hope you don't mind but I think I will be able to do the next part more justice this way. I will try to update as soon as I can I promise. The song in this part is How Soon is Now by Love Spit Love, hopefully you recognise it as the Charmed Theme song.

Now to thank everyone who reviewed my last update:

X3, Pink-Charmed-One, Claddagh Ring, Buffspike, Faith, Cherry7up56, The Astringent, Rhia, Succubus-69 and St Ash. St Ash the song used in part one is called Breathe No More by Evanescence. I had it written there but I re-uploaded that part to fix some mistakes and forgot to include the name of the song sorry of any trouble this has caused anyone.

* * *

"Your Aunt Phoebe told me that you're unhappy about something." Piper said looking in Chris' eyes, trying to gage his reaction. "Chris?"

Chris didn't know what to say. How could he tell his mother that he knows Leo doesn't love him, doesn't trust him? The pressure of his emotions and the intensity of his Piper's loving gaze became too much for him to bear. Chris turned to face his mother; his eyes full of tears and a sadness the likes of which Piper had never seen. "He doesn't love me." Chris finally said softly.

"Oh honey." Piper began grabbing her son tightly, "Why would you think that? Your father loves you more than anything."

"You have to say that but I know it's not true." Chris was now openly crying, he'd been bottling all his sadness, all his pain up for fifteen years and now it was all rushing out. "He thinks I'll hurting Wyatt, that I'll hurt all of you." Piper couldn't take it anymore she had to do something.

"Chris, Chris look at me. I want you to listen to me very carefully." Piper began as she turned Chris to meet her eyes. "Your father loves you, he has always loved you and he will love you." As she finished Piper placed a kiss on Chris' brow and hugged him once more. "You know I could sit here all night just hugging you." Piper's words got the reaction she was after, Chris laughed, it may have been only a slight chuckle but it was a laugh nonetheless. "I have to ask Chris, why do you think Leo doesn't love you? Where did this come from?"

As Chris replied, he moved closer to his mother trying to bury himself as deep as he could. "He never has anytime for me. He has time to talk to everyone, to you, to Wyatt, to Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige, even Ness and Mel but every time I wanna talk, he leaves. He can't stand to be around me." As Chris spoke, Piper could feel the tears streaming over her checks.

Piper couldn't think, Chris believed that his father didn't love him. Her mind was racing with thoughts, some cursing Leo; others fearing what could happen to her youngest son if she didn't prove his thoughts wrong. "I wish I could show you just how much your father loves you."

"Please, can we, can we just talk about something else?" Chris whispered.

"Sure sweetie, but we need to talk about this soon." Piper replied, the sadness in her voice openly evident.

"I know, but not now, please?" Chris said as he moved closer into his mother's embrace.

Piper reluctantly agreed, her mind was also racing with questions from the events that occurred after dinner. "Okay, now tell me about Prue, Mum and Grams. How are they? What they say?"

* * *

The sun had woken Piper up hours ago but she was afraid to move in case she roused Chris. Their talk had proceeded well into the early hours of the morning. Chris, worn out from the events of the day, had passed out around three-thirty and Piper didn't have the heart to move, so they slept there, mother and son in each other's arms. Just as Piper was gently brushing the hair away from his face, Chris began to stir. "Hey, good morning birthday boy."

"Mornin'," Chris replied as he yawned. "You didn't have to stay."

"Hey it's every mother's prerogative to sleep next to her child." Piper said as both she and Chris moved to sit up. "Well now that you're awake, what do you want for your birthday breakfast? How about bacon, scrambled eggs and toast?"

"Sounds great." Chris replied with a smile. Their conversation last night had lifted Chris' spirits, even if they still hadn't covered Piper's main concern. As Piper made a move towards the door, Chris called out, "And Mum thanks for, you know, not pushing."

"That's okay but we still need to talk, so no running off today, ok?" Piper replied with a small smile. "I'm just gonna grab a quick shower then I'll get started on breakfast." And with that, Piper left the room.

As Chris heard his mother close the bathroom door he decided that he needed a shower too. Chris, not wanting to walk into the closet simply waved his hand as if calling someone over, the moment he did so a red and grey long sleeved T-shirt and a pair of grey cargo pants emerged from the closet and landed on the bed. No sooner had the clothes landed on the bed then Chris' mind voiced it's objections over using his powers for such a simple task, oddly enough the tiny voice sounded just like Piper's, "What have I told you about using your powers for personal reasons? You know the rules." Chris simply smiled and shook his head as he gathered his clothes and headed for the second bathroom.

Finally, fully refreshed and dressed, Piper headed downstairs to make a start on breakfast. As she reached the last step, Piper was greeted by a swirl of blue light. "Leo... oh Paige, it's just you." Piper's voice betrayed her delight at seeing her youngest sister materialise before her.

"Well it's nice to see you too." Paige replied with mock hurt.

"No I'm glad to see you, it's just, I thought you were Leo." Piper explained as they both walked into the kitchen. "I just wish he'd come home, we need to talk about some pretty big issues."

"Hey he might turn up later in the day. I mean it is Chris' sixteenth birthday. What father would miss his son's sixteenth?" Paige said as she started to make a cup of coffee.

"I sincerely hope you're right, coz we have a big problem to deal with and the longer we leave it the worse it's gonna get."

"Problem? What problem?" Paige asked looking over her cup of coffee.

Before she replied, Piper stuck her head around the corner to see if Chris was near by. Fortunately, she could still hear the shower running. "Chris thinks Leo doesn't love him." Piper explained in a hushed voice.

"What!" Paige exclaimed as she dropped her cup. "Oh sorry... wait, no I'm not. What do you mean Chris think Leo doesn't love him?"

Piper had known that Paige would react in this way. The idea of a parent not loving their child was something Paige had grown up with, she often wondered if her biological parents loved her or just thought of her as some burden they didn't need. Her adoptive parents, of course loved her like she was their own but the question of her 'real' parents love for her was always there. It wasn't until she found out that she had sisters did she learn that her biological parents gave her up for adoption in order to protect her against any outburst from the Elders.

"I'm not sure where Chris got the idea but apparently he believes that Leo thinks that Chris is going to hurt Wyatt and us." Piper replied casting nervous glances at the door, just in case Chris happened to walk in.

"That's ridiculous, Chris would never hurt anyone, let alone his family." Paige exclaimed, now visibly fuming with silent rage. "When Leo gets here I'm gonna..." Paige added, her silent tirade towards Leo caused her to momentarily orb out on the spot.

"Okay I'm sure Chris will appreciate your defence of him but I think we need to handle this a little more delicately."

Paige was about to respond when Chris, now showered and dressed, came bounding into the kitchen singing loudly. "..._you shut your mouth, how can you say I go about things the wrong way_..." As soon as he saw Piper and Paige standing there, Chris immediately stopped singing and removed his headphones. "Er..." Chris was lost for words, caught between shock and embarrassment.

"And good morning to you to mister." Paige said trying to fight back the laughter, which was on the verge of spilling out.

"Er...th...thanks." Chris replied, his face now flushed and warm.

"Breakfast will be ready in about five minutes honey." Piper told her son, who had begun to make his way over to the table. "I imagine you're here for breakfast too, huh?" Piper added looking to her sister, who had followed Chris over to the table.

"Of course, can't start the day without Piper's breakfast extravaganza." Piper simply shook her head and continued with breakfast.

"Aunt Paige where's Ness?" Chris asked, his face now back to it's normal colour.

"Well it's school holidays, she stayed up to god knows when talking on the phone to Melinda about her new power and you want to know where she is?" Paige asked mockingly. "I wouldn't expect to see her for, oh, at least four more hours." Paige continued examining her watch. All Chris could do was laugh. Vanessa was so much like her mother when she was younger. Both Piper and his Aunt Phoebe had told him stories of how Paige would go on these Wiccan rampages, trying to learn everything and anything she could, in the end, they nicknamed her 'superwitch'. Chris could imagine Vanessa staying up to all hours of the morning talking about her new power. With Vanessa now able to heal, it was only his Aunt Paige and himself who were half witch- half whitelighter without the ability to heal. Chris had always wanted to be able to heal but he never developed that power, maybe he would in time.

"Here we go. Bacon, scrambled eggs and some toast. Now eat up." Piper said as she placed two large plates in front of Chris and Paige.

"Mmm smells good and I'm starving." Paige replied while waiting for Piper to return with her own plate.

"Thanks Mum." Chris said as he dug into his breakfast.

They ate much of their breakfast in silence. Piper was silent because she was studying her son closely, just how upset was he? Was his happy exterior just an effective cover? Paige was also thinking about Chris but her thoughts were more about how much she wanted to hurt Leo for causing her nephew so much pain. Chris' silence on the other hand had nothing to do with his father, no Chris was thinking about what surprise his family had planned for him today. Every year his aunts would surprise him an extravagant present or activity. He knew his mum was in on the surprises but she never let on, even after they had pulled it on him she still pleaded ignorance. Last year was the best surprise they'd ever given him. Last year his aunts and Piper took him to New York, they did everything. They spent the day shopping for CD's, computer games, clothes; anything he wanted. Phoebe almost melted her credit card just buying Chris clothes and books. It was one of the best days in Chris' life. But what could they be planning this year?

"Hello is anyone up?" Phoebe's voice pulled everyone out of their thoughts.

"In the kitchen Pheebs." Piper called out.

Moments later Phoebe came bounding into the kitchen. "Where's the birthday boy?" Chris didn't have time to orb let alone move before his aunt had engulfed him in a giant, almost bone crunching hug. "Happy Birthday sweetie."

"Erm, thanks Aunt Phoebe but I can't breathe." Chris managed to say from under his aunt's hug.

"Oh sorry, I just got a little excited." Phoebe replied sheepishly as she let him go.

"You're telling me." Paige retorted. "So what's the reason for this super chipper mood, especially this early in the morning?"

At Paige's question, Phoebe faked a hurt expression. "What can't I just be happy that my nephew is going to be celebrating his sixteenth birthday today?"

Apparently, Phoebe placed too much emphasis on her statement, now everyone was eying her with suspicion. "Okay who are you and what have you done with the real Phoebe?" Piper asked eying her sister closely.

"What is it too much to take, me being in a good mood?" Phoebe replied.

"No, no you're allowed to be in a good mood but it's like a quarter to eight, so that combined with this exceptionally chipper mood is well, isn't you." Paige answered.

"Yeah I'd have to agree Aunt Phoebe; your record is against you on this. Early mornings don't equal a chipper aunt." Chris added.

"I can't believe you're siding with them! You're so lucky it's your birthday or I'd have to employ some of your mother's special magic to make you see the error of your ways." Phoebe said but seeing the look of disbelief on her nephew's face decided that, he might need a demonstration. Therefore, with the speed that only came from years of fighting demons she pounced on an unsuspecting Chris and started to tickle him relentlessly. "Do you surrender to my power?" Phoebe asked with a clichéd evil laugh.

"Arrrggghhh...not fair...I...I...okay, okay!" Chris blurted out between fits of laughter. After his aunt stopped and he regained his breathe he turned to Piper, "You're teaching others how to use your power to control me? That's truly evil."

Piper simply smiled back replying, "Well this is a power that must be shared with as many people as possible. The power to control my baby must be spread far and wide."

"So then," Chris began, turning his attention from his mother to Phoebe, "Aunt Phoebe where's Melinda? Is she okay?"

"Oh yeah she's fine, well I mean she must be if she can stay up until god knows when talking on the phone to your cousin. When I left she was still in bed." Phoebe replied sitting at the table.

"Sounds oddly familiar to me." Piper chimed in.

"Oh be quiet. I think we should be glad she doesn't take after me completely. I mean could you imagine it?" Phoebe replied with a slight shudder.

"Oh god yes, one of you is quiet enough thank you very much!" Paige added before Piper could respond. Chris loved it when the sisters argued like this. All he had to do was sit there and he'd get to hear stories of how much trouble they got into at his age. His Aunt Phoebe was the best one when it came to childhood misgivings.

"So would you like some breakfast or have you already eaten?" Piper asked collecting the dirty plates from the table.

"Of course I'll have some of your delicious breakfast. Why else do you think I'm here this early?" Phoebe's chipper reply came.

"And here I was thinking you where here to wish me a happy birthday." Chris retorted with mock indignation.

* * *

The rest of the morning past without incident. Around twelve-thirty Melinda and Vanessa orbed into the living room, still looking extremely tired.

"Well good morning you two. Nice of you to join us today." Phoebe exclaimed as she walked into the living room smiling brightly.

"Gah, it's too early to be this happy." Melinda retorted, falling back onto a near by chair. Vanessa followed suite.

"Well if you two had oh I don't know, gone to bed at a reasonable hour instead of talking on the phone, just out of curiosity," Phoebe retorted moving to stand behind Melinda's chair, "What time did you two get off the phone?"

"Er... well the actual time isn't what's important here. What is however is the fact that you're way too happy and why are you this happy, it's creepy?" Melinda asked trying to change the subject. Unfortunately, Phoebe had already been able to get the answer she wanted.

"You were on the phone until five o'clock!" Phoebe exclaimed, Vanessa tried to hide her amusement at Melinda's predicament but Phoebe had other ideas, "Don't think you're in anyway getting out of this. When your mother finds out about this you're gonna be so dead." Vanessa's amusement faded instantly.

"Oh Aunt Phoebe you wouldn't, you're the cool aunt remember?" Vanessa shot back, scared of what her Mum would say or do if she found out that she was on the phone for that long.

"Hey don't let Mum hear you telling Aunt Phoebe she's the cool one." Chris' voice came from the hallway. As Chris walked into the living room, everyone turned and smiled. "Well I'm glad my presence has such a positive effect on people." At Chris' comment, everyone laughed but Phoebe, Melinda and Vanessa knew, even if he didn't show it, that there was a kind of sadness attached to those words.

"So now that you're successfully distracted me from thoroughly embarrassing and quiet possibly punishing Melinda at least, do you want to do something?"

"Erm... I'd love to Aunt Phoebe but I think Mum wants to talk to me about something." Chris replied, the strength of his voice falling as he continued to speak. Phoebe didn't need her powers to know what that something was, so she decided it would probably be better if they had a little privacy therefore, she would have to get the girls to leave the Manor.

"Oh okay, well you should probably have that talk with Piper. I have a few things I need to do before tonight. Girls do you wanna come with me? We can get lunch or in your case breakfast."

"Funny Mum, you're a regular comedian but sure we'll come. I'm not one to pass up a free meal." Melinda replied with a smile, jumping from the chair as if it had become electrified.

"Paige!" Phoebe bellowed down the hallway towards the kitchen. "Come on and bring your keys, we're taking your car." Phoebe and the girls started to walk out of the living room when she turned back to Chris. "Have a great day and we'll see you later at P3 for the party, K?"

Phoebe's comment made Melinda and Vanessa stop dead in their tracks; they had forgotten that today was Chris' birthday. "Oh Chris, it completely slipped my mind. Happy Birthday!" Melinda said as she flung her arms around her cousin, engulfing him in a hug.

"Yeah sorry we forgot. Happy birthday. So did you get any cool gifts yet?" Vanessa added moving to hug Chris too.

"Hey it's cool. Things have been a little crazy lately. As for the gifts department, not yet." Chris answered smiling through the barrage of hugs.

"Okay, now I don't wanna go out, we forgot your birthday." Melinda said, her voice conveying her disappointment for forgetting his birthday.

"No, it's cool. Like I said it's been crazy lately, last night especially, besides Mum really want to talk to me, and I really can't put it off any longer, so you go and shop. You know you can't turn down a chance to go shopping, it's in your genes." At that, Phoebe chimed in.

"Hey, you're so lucky it's your birthday." Chris simply threw his hands up in defence.

"But it's true."

"Yeah I'd have to agree, Melinda shops exactly like you Pheebs, compulsively." Paige who had now joined them chimed in. "So are we going? I have like a hundred things to do and I bet you've got more." Paige continued, directing her full attention to Phoebe.

"Yeah we're leaving now." Before she left Phoebe pulled Chris close and whispered in his ear. "Make sure you talk to her and tell her everything, K? She's really worried."

"I promise. Now have fun shopping."

As everyone left Chris realised that today was the day were he'd have to talk to Piper, there were no more excuses to put it off. How was he going to do this? How would Piper take it? Deciding that he needed to do it now rather than prolong the inevitable Chris headed into the kitchen.

"Hey."

"Hey honey. How are you feeling?" Piper replied, her concern over the events of the previous night were still at the forefront of her mind.

"Fine. Erm... you said... do... do you wanna, you know have... have that talk, now?" This was going to be harder than he originally thought.

Piper wanted to talk about what she found out from Melinda and from Chris himself but she didn't want to push too hard. "If you're sure you're ready to talk," Chris simply nodded, "Okay let's go sit in the conservatory."

They sat in silence for several minutes, Piper could see Chris' mind trying to sort something out, so she sat there in silence, waiting for Chris to make the first move. "Maybe, maybe it would be easier if you asked me a question." Chris' voice was different somehow, now it made him sound so small, like a little child not her sweet sixteen-year-old son who had braved several demons last night alone.

Piper knew she needed to choose her words carefully in order to fully understand why Chris thought the things he did but no matter how she worded the question in her mind it didn't seem to be enough. As Piper looked up at her youngest son, sitting there looking so vulnerable, so scared, the question she needed came rushing out before she could even think. "Why?"

* * *

A/N 2: Okay I hope you enjoyed that. Now I was just hoping if someone could help me out with a little bit of info? Does Darryl and Shelia have any children? If so does anyone know there names and ages?


End file.
